"Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccination Linked to Acute Pericarditis Occurrence"

mRNA-Based Vaccines Associated with Acute Pericarditis Occurrence
Viral Vector Vaccines Show No Significant Association

Pfizer vaccine

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A study has found that messenger RNA (mRNA)-based COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna are associated with the occurrence of acute pericarditis.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Committee of the National Academy of Medicine of Korea announced this at the second research results presentation on adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination held on the afternoon of the 12th.

This presentation was a report on research results analyzing information collected through analysis and reporting monitoring of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, including △Guillain-Barr? syndrome △Miller Fisher syndrome △decompensated acute heart failure △new-onset acute heart failure △aortic dissection △acute transverse myelitis △acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.

At the first presentation held in March, the committee announced that "in the case of acute myocarditis, there is evidence to recognize causality with mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but there is insufficient evidence to recognize causality for acute pericarditis."

However, as a result of additional research conducted by the committee, it was confirmed that the incidence of acute pericarditis, as well as acute myocarditis, statistically significantly increased in the mRNA vaccine recipient group.

The incidence rate of acute pericarditis after the second dose of vaccine was 6.5 times higher for the Pfizer vaccine and 1.77 times higher for the Moderna vaccine, with the increase in incidence rate observed at a statistically significant level. This result was obtained by comparing the risk of occurrence after vaccination with the control periods before or after vaccination through a Self-Controlled Case Series design.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, unlike mRNA vaccines, no statistical significance was found between the viral vector vaccine AstraZeneca (AZ) and the occurrence of acute pericarditis.

There was no significant increase in Guillain-Barr? syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome following vaccination, but the committee considered that additional research is needed to understand causality with viral vector vaccines based on overseas research cases.

The committee judged that there is no causality between COVID-19 vaccines and aortic dissection or heart failure.

Acute transverse myelitis was observed to have an increased risk of occurrence after vaccination, but the current results are insufficient to recognize causality.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis showed no significance in occurrence after vaccination and is a very rare disease, so it is difficult to determine causality based on the current evidence.

The committee explained, "For acute transverse myelitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, it is necessary to secure additional subjects and verify the validity of diagnosis for further analysis."

Park Byung-joo, chairman of the COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Committee of the National Academy of Medicine of Korea, stated, "In addition to the diseases mentioned in this presentation, we plan to continue analyzing and reviewing the association between vaccines and adverse reactions that are major issues domestically."