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The European Medicine Agency (EMA<\/a>) announced on July 9, 2021, it had concluded that myocarditis and pericarditis could occur in very rare cases following vaccination with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines\u00a0Comirnaty<\/a>\u00a0(Pfizer- The EMA’s Committee concluded that the cases primarily occurred within 14 days after vaccination, more often after the second dose, and in younger adult men.<\/p>\n At this point in time, the EMA says there is no causal relationship with heart disease\u00a0and the\u00a0other COVID-19 vaccines Authorized in Europe, COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen and Vaxzevria,<\/p>\n Therefore, the EMA’s vaccine committee\u00a0recommends\u00a0listing myocarditis and pericarditis as new side effects in the\u00a0product information\u00a0for these vaccines.\u00a0As of May 2021, around 177 million doses of Comirnaty and 20 million doses of Spikevax had been given in Europe.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the EMA is\u00a0raising this health risk awareness among healthcare professionals and people taking these vaccines. Myocarditis and pericarditis are heart inflammatory conditions. Symptoms can vary but often include breathlessness, a forceful heartbeat that may be irregular, and chest pain.<\/p>\n In reaching its conclusion, the Committee took into consideration all currently available evidence.<\/p>\n The EMA’s analysis\u00a0included an in-depth review of 145 cases of myocarditis in the European Economic Area (EEA) among people who received Comirnaty and 19 cases among people who received Spikevax. The committee\u00a0also reviewed reports of 138 cases of pericarditis following the use of Comirnaty and 19 cases following the Spikevax vaccination.<\/p>\n