The government of Finland has recently announced that it has stopped the administration of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax, due to the rising reports of younger males developing heart issues after being given shots of the same.
Spikevax allegedly encourages the onset of cardiovascular diseases like myocarditis and pericarditis, according to an unpublished European study. The Finnish government used this study as the basis for the suspension of the administration of the vaccine. Additionally, the said study is currently being assessed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Remarkably, Finland is not the first Nordic nation to suspend the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna. Denmark and Sweden have limited the use of the injection due to the same reason.
The Finnish Health Institute’s director, Mika Salminen, divulged that younger men born in 1991 and later would be given Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine instead of Moderna’s. This is because the adverse cardiovascular effects caused by Moderna’s injection typically manifest after the second dose.
Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle called the myocardium, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium, the membrane surrounding the heart. While both of these heart issues are not considered severe, medical experts share that they can encourage the onset of much more dangerous ailments that could be potentially fatal.
When asked for comment on the subject, a spokesperson for Moderna stressed that the company is already aware of the stoppage of the administration of Spikevax by Denmark and Sweden. However, the spokesperson added that “these are typically mild cases and individuals tend to recover within a short time following standard treatment and rest.”
Despite the rising number of cases and reports concerning the potentially fatal cardiovascular side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization, the European Union, and regulators in the United States still support and push the administration of the shots.
They contend that getting vaccinated and becoming protected against the more severe health effects of COVID -19 still outweighs the “very rare” risk of getting myocarditis and pericarditis. The EMA has provided no update regarding the use of the vaccine manufactured by Moderna so far.
On a related note, while Norway still hasn’t announced a stoppage in the use of Spikevax, it issued a statement last week that its government will prioritize the Pfizer vaccine for younger men under 30.
