More than 300 cases of heart inflammation after Covid-19 vaccinations have been reported in young people, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.
“The case are rare,” she said. “Over 20 million adolescents and young adults [have been] vaccinated in the United States.”
Still, the cases of either myocarditis or pericarditis, which involve inflammation of the heart or the surrounding tissue, are higher than what would be expected for this age group.
The CDC’s independent advisory group, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will meet next week to review the cases. The meeting was originally scheduled for Friday, but was rescheduled late Thursday after President Joe Biden signed a bill into law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. Because June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, it will be observed on Friday, June 18.
The group will discuss the latest research and safety data on myocarditis following shots, but is not expected to make any changes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations. The shot from Pfizer-BioNTech is the only one authorized so far for children ages 12 through 17, though young adults 18 and older can receive either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines.
