Teenage COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients at Risk of Serious Adverse Events After 2nd Dose: Study
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/teenage-covid-19-recipients-at-risk-of-serious-adverse-events-after-2nd-dose-study-6006115?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=section-1
Teenage recipients of COVID-19 vaccines faced an elevated risk of serious adverse events, including appendicitis, after a second dose, researchers said in a new study.
Norwegian scientists studied about 496,432 adolescents aged 12 to 19 for the research, published in Scientific Reports on March 27, utilizing nationwide safety data. Many of the adolescents received a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
Following a first dose, there were no significant increases in adverse events, the scientists said. An age-adjusted analysis identified an increased incidence of appendicitis and allergic reactions, but the small number of events means those increases should be “interpreted cautiously,” they wrote.
In contrast, after the second dose, there was a higher incidence of allergic reactions, swollen lymph nodes, and heart inflammation. When isolating people without reported COVID-19 infections, an elevated risk of epilepsy and convulsions also appeared.
Stratifications by age showed that the heart inflammation cases were primarily among 18- to 19-year-olds, who have been known to face an increased risk of the inflammation—for which doctors often advise refraining from physical activity for a period of time—following COVID-19 vaccination. The older adolescents also had an increased risk of allergic reactions, while 16- to 17-year-olds had more events of acute appendicitis, which typically requires surgery.
The Norwegian researchers restricted their primary analysis to events occurring within two to 42 days after vaccination, depending on the type of event. They acknowledged that the risk windows may be too brief, as estimates of risk increased for certain events after the elapsed time. Continue…