The Israeli Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that a small number of myocarditis cases, mostly reported among young people who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, are likely related to the vaccination. In announcing the results of a study conducted to investigate the matter, the ministry reported that there were 275 cases of myocarditis documented in Israel between December 2020 and May 2021, among more than 5 million vaccinated individuals.
According to the study, which the ministry stated was conducted by three expert teams, most patients who suffered from myocarditis spent at most four days in the hospital, and 95 percent of the cases were classified as mild, as reported by "Reuters."
The ministry's statement indicated that "there is a potential link between receiving the second dose (of the Pfizer vaccine) and the occurrence of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30." According to the results, this association was notably observed among men aged 16 to 19 more than in other age groups.
As COVID-19 infections have dropped to a very low daily count and the total active cases remain at just 340, Israel has reopened its economy completely while still maintaining restrictions on incoming tourism. Authorities there have vaccinated about 55 percent of the population, and on Tuesday, social distancing restrictions and the need for vaccination cards to enter restaurants and certain places were lifted.
Pfizer Denies
For its part, Pfizer announced in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli remarks regarding myocarditis cases, stressing that no causal relationship exists between this medical condition and its vaccine. The company added that it is carefully reviewing the adverse effects of its vaccine, and representatives from Pfizer regularly meet with representatives from the vaccine safety administration in the Israeli Health Ministry to review the data.
Last month, an advisory group from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended conducting further studies on the potential link between myocarditis and vaccines, including Pfizer and Moderna. However, the monitoring systems of the CDC did not find cases exceeding what was expected within the population, yet the advisory group stated in a statement that its members see a necessity to inform healthcare providers about reports of "possible adverse effects."
