Pfizer's COVID Vaccine In Teens And Myocarditis: What You Need To Know
It's been a little more than a month since adolescents as young as 12 became eligible in the United States to receive the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19, and nearly all reports have been positive: The vaccine is very effective in this age group, and the vast majority of kids experience mild side effects, if any — the same sore arm or mild flu-like symptoms seen among adults who get the shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone 12-years-old and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the rollout is well underway: According to the CDC, nearly 7 million U.S. teens and pre-teens (ages 12 through 17) have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, so far.
Still, soon after the FDA authorized the use of Pfizer's vaccine in young people, federal agencies began receiving of mild chest pain or other signs of possible heart inflammation (known as myocarditis) in a very small percentage of recently vaccinated teens. At a last week, a member of CDC's Vaccine Safety Team reported that the agency is reviewing 475 reports received by the government as of May 31 of heart inflammation in people 30 years or younger. An expert advisory committee to the health agency is expected to at a meeting Friday.
