(MENAFN) A comprehensive study involving 99 million people across eight countries has raised concerns about the unexpected incidence of side effects associated with various COVID-19 vaccines, according to findings released by the Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) on Monday.
Published in the medical journal Vaccine on February 12, the study focused on examining adverse events of special interest, including neurological, blood, and heart-related conditions, among 99,068,901 vaccinated individuals across ten sites in eight countries.
Lead author Kristyna Faksova from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, emphasized that the substantial size of the study population increased the likelihood of identifying rare potential vaccine safety signals. The study revealed a higher-than-expected incidence of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart sac) among individuals who received the Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273) shots.
Of particular concern was Moderna's vaccine, which demonstrated a heightened rate of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), characterized by inflammation and swelling in the brain and spinal cord. The study identified seven ADEM cases compared to the expected two within 42 days of receiving the first shot of the Moderna vaccine.
The safety signals for myocarditis were consistently observed following the first three doses of either mRNA shot, with the highest ratio reported after the second dose. Pericarditis signals also surfaced after the first and fourth doses of mRNA-1273, and notably, after a third dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) viral vector vaccine.
The study's findings add a layer of complexity to the ongoing global vaccination efforts, prompting a reevaluation of the potential risks associated with certain COVID-19 vaccines. As the scientific community grapples with the implications of these safety signals, the study underscores the importance of continued vigilance in monitoring vaccine side effects and adapting vaccination strategies to ensure the utmost safety for individuals worldwide.
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