Singapore
By Emil Chan 28 Jun 2021 06:25AM (Updated: 28 Jun 2021 06:31AM )
SINGAPORE: The benefits of receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination, said Singapore’s expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday (Jun 27) in response to an open letter attributed to a group of doctors.
The Government-appointed committee had earlier this month highlighted the possibility that the second dose of the mRNA vaccines may be associated with a small risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in young men.
Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions that affect the heart muscles and the outer lining of the heart respectively.
“The assessment after our review is that the benefits of receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination,” said the committee. “Data on myocarditis and pericarditis has not changed since, and the Expert Committee’s assessment remains the same.”
The committee’s comments on Sunday were in response to an open letter circulating on social media that was attributed to a group of doctors, including one cardiologist, calling for a halt in the COVID-19 vaccinations of Singapore’s youth, following reports of the US Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention’s investigations into the death of a 13-year-old male after being vaccinated with the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.
The response also highlighted recent international reports of the association between myocarditis and the second dose of the mRNA vaccines in young men.
Singapore uses Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for its national vaccination programme, which are both mRNA-based vaccines.
“The social media post indicated that the 13-year-old male from the US had died from heart failure, although no cause of death has been made public and the case is currently under investigation by the US authorities,” said the committee.
It said US data indicates that cases of myocarditis following mRNA vaccinations are rare, with almost all such cases being resolved with minimal medical intervention.
“Professional medical associations in the US, including the American College of Paediatrics and the American Heart Association in the US have continued to strongly encourage vaccination in everyone aged 12 years and older,” the committee said, adding that it continues to recommend the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for young men.
The expert committee said it continues to recommend that those vaccinated, particularly adolescents and younger men, avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after their second dose. They should also seek medical attention promptly if they develop chest pain, shortness of breath of abnormal heartbeats.
The committee said it will continue to monitor the data and review its recommendations as needed.
The expert committee’s comments on Sunday followed a similar statement made last month in response to an open letter by 12 doctors that called for children to be given non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over fears of “unknown and unstudied” long-term side effects.
Eleven of the 12 doctors later retracted their statements.
Earlier this month, messages on social media claimed that inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines - such as China’s Sinovac - were more effective against COVID-19 variants than mRNA-based vaccines, prompting the committee to refute that claim .
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Source: CNA/ec
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Benefits of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines 'continue to outweigh' risks: Singapore expert committee
FILE PHOTO: Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoBy Emil Chan 28 Jun 2021 06:25AM (Updated: 28 Jun 2021 06:31AM )
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SINGAPORE: The benefits of receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination, said Singapore’s expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday (Jun 27) in response to an open letter attributed to a group of doctors.
The Government-appointed committee had earlier this month highlighted the possibility that the second dose of the mRNA vaccines may be associated with a small risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in young men.
Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions that affect the heart muscles and the outer lining of the heart respectively.
“The assessment after our review is that the benefits of receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination,” said the committee. “Data on myocarditis and pericarditis has not changed since, and the Expert Committee’s assessment remains the same.”
The committee’s comments on Sunday were in response to an open letter circulating on social media that was attributed to a group of doctors, including one cardiologist, calling for a halt in the COVID-19 vaccinations of Singapore’s youth, following reports of the US Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention’s investigations into the death of a 13-year-old male after being vaccinated with the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.
The response also highlighted recent international reports of the association between myocarditis and the second dose of the mRNA vaccines in young men.
Singapore uses Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for its national vaccination programme, which are both mRNA-based vaccines.
“The social media post indicated that the 13-year-old male from the US had died from heart failure, although no cause of death has been made public and the case is currently under investigation by the US authorities,” said the committee.
It said US data indicates that cases of myocarditis following mRNA vaccinations are rare, with almost all such cases being resolved with minimal medical intervention.
READ: US FDA adds warning about rare heart inflammation to Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines
“Professional medical associations in the US, including the American College of Paediatrics and the American Heart Association in the US have continued to strongly encourage vaccination in everyone aged 12 years and older,” the committee said, adding that it continues to recommend the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for young men.
The expert committee said it continues to recommend that those vaccinated, particularly adolescents and younger men, avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after their second dose. They should also seek medical attention promptly if they develop chest pain, shortness of breath of abnormal heartbeats.
The committee said it will continue to monitor the data and review its recommendations as needed.
READ: The Big Read: Conspiracy theories, scientific misinterpretations, plain ignorance abound in COVID-19 infodemic
The expert committee’s comments on Sunday followed a similar statement made last month in response to an open letter by 12 doctors that called for children to be given non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over fears of “unknown and unstudied” long-term side effects.
Eleven of the 12 doctors later retracted their statements.
Earlier this month, messages on social media claimed that inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines - such as China’s Sinovac - were more effective against COVID-19 variants than mRNA-based vaccines, prompting the committee to refute that claim .
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Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Source: CNA/ec
Continue reading...