Do Not Take Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine: France Warns People Under 30 Over Myocarditis Risk

Health authority in France has asked young adults to get Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine instead of Moderna jab.

Emerging evidence suggests that vaccine protection against the Covid-19 virus may decrease over time.

At least five European nations have recommended against the use of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in young adults aged under 30 due to concerns over the risk of myocarditis -- a rare heart inflammation. France is the latest to join the league that also includes Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Sweden.

France's Public Health Authority (Haute Autorite de Sante) has recommended those under age 30 to get the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine instead of the Moderna jab. The myocarditis risk is likely five times lesser with Pfizer's Comirnaty jab compared to Moderna's Spikevax jab, it stated.

However, administration of Moderna vaccine is still authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Sweden is the first country to restrict use of the Moderna Covid-19 shot in people born after 1990. In October, the Sweden's Public Health Agency stated that data indicates "an increased risk of side effects such as inflammation of the heart muscle or the pericardium." However, it noted that the risk is very small.

Citing similar heart inflammation data, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare also announced earlier this month that men under age 30 will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine instead of Moderna Covid-19 shot.

Possible side effects of Moderna vaccine

Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) are identified as possible side effects of Covid vaccines.

The data presented to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that males were much more likely to develop heart inflammation than females -- with those aged 18 to 24 at most risk. Myocarditis after vaccination was detected in people administered Pfizer jab or Moderna shot. But for every 1 million doses of the vaccines administered, 13.3 more cases of myocarditis were detected in Moderna recipients compared to those who received the Pfizer jab, as per the data.

However, the reason for this side effect is now yet known.

A Moderna spokesperson, on the other hand, told a UK daily that most cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after vaccination are mild and individuals tend to recover within a short time following standard treatment and rest. The risk of developing myocarditis is substantially higher for those who contract Covid-19, and so vaccination against the disease is essential.

Moderna Vaccine Highly Effective Against Delta Variant

The Delta variant is considered to be one of the most contagious variants of Covid-19. A study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in September stated that Moderna's vaccine is significantly more effective against this dangerous variant than Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. It found that Moderna jab was 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 related hospitalisation among adults ages 18 and older, even in the presence of the new Covid-19 variant, compared to Pfizer (80 per cent) and Johnson Johnson (60 per cent) vaccines.