Teen vax delayed

Cardiac concerns

The Food and Drug Administration is delaying its approval of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for teens to study whether the shot could increase the risk of a rare inflammatory heart condition, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The delay follows moves by Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway to limit or suspend using the Moderna jabs for people under age 30 over concerns about the risks of myocarditis for younger men.

Researchers have found a link between rare cases of the heart condition in children and the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, both of which use a relatively new technology called mRNA.

The Journal reported that the FDA was taking another look at data on the risk of myocarditis among younger men and comparing the results for those who took Moderna’s vaccine and those who got a Pfizer shot.

So far, the regulator hasn’t determined if either of the vaccines elevates the risk.

The delay could be several weeks, but the timing was unclear, the newspaper reported. Until the review is complete, the Moderna shot is off limits for young people.

The Pfizer vaccine is approved for emergency use for kids ages 12 to 15, and the New Jersey company has submitted trial data seeking approval for kids 5 to 11.

The Moderna shot, widely used by adults, was found safe in a study testing it in 3,700 adolescents, none of whom developed myocarditis, the company told the Journal.