Vials of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Healthauthorities in the US, Europe, and elsewhere have reported some rare cases ofmyocarditis and pericarditis occurring in individuals who received COVID-19vaccines, especially mRNA-based ones like Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, with thecause not yet made clear.
These heartissues are more common among younger males and more often following thesecond dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, according to the latest statement fromthe COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on VaccineSafety (GACVS).
However, the Ministryof Health noted the issues could worsen and become a danger to one’s lifewithout timely detection and treatment, and urged caution when the symptomsindicate myocarditis/pericarditis like chest pain, shortness of breath, orpalpitations following vaccination.
The symptomstypically appear 2-4 days after vaccination, but earlier occurrence (12 hoursafter vaccination) or later is also possible.
Physicalexamination may reveal no distinctive features or only pericardial frictionrub, and the individual in question could have a fever or not.
Myocarditis/pericarditisrespond well to conservative treatment and the condition improves within 3-5days, but in some cases, it could turn acute, with manifestations of symptomssuch as acute pulmonary oedema, acute heart failure, tamponade pericardialeffusion, cardiogenic shock, tachyarrhythmias/bradycardias, fainting, and evensudden death.
All people whosuffer from suspect symptoms need to notify the health ministry's hotline19009095 or come to the nearest hospitals to rule out the possibilities ofacute myocarditis.
In case ofacute myocarditis, the patient needs to be closely monitored at a facilitycapable of performing cardiovascular resuscitation, and if the condition getsworse, the patient would need to be moved to a specialised heart hospital.
There is nospecific treatment regime for post-vaccine acute myocarditis and pericarditisas yet. The recommended measures are to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs and the medical staff must be ready to provide respiratory/circulatorysupport when there are critical developments such as acute pulmonary oedema,acute heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock or pericardial effusion.
In case ofheart failure with pulmonary oedema, the priority is to administer intravenousloop diuretics, oxygen, and assisted ventilation.
For people whohad myocarditis/pericarditis after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, if anadditional dose(s) is required then another vaccine with a different technologyshould be chosen.
The ministrystressed the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the risks of myocarditisand pericarditis even among young people and that the vaccine is theway out of the pandemic.
“Whileacknowledging the clear benefits of the mRNA vaccines in reducing deaths andhospitalisations due to COVID-19 infections, the subcommittee encourages allhealth professionals to report all events of myocarditis and other adverseevents observed with these and other vaccines,” the statement from the WHOreads.
Vietnam hasplaced an order of 30 million doses from Pfizer (the first shipment arrived on July 7) and received 2 million doses of Moderna as adonation from the US government via the COVAX Facility on July 10./.
VNA
