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Don’t Fret! No Cases Of Myocarditis And Pericarditis Reported In Malaysia

Don’t Fret! No Cases Of Myocarditis And Pericarditis Reported In Malaysia

The concerns were raised when the two heart conditions were reported in the US and UK after receiving the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.

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The Ministry of Health said today (19 June) that there are no cases of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with the use of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.

This follows rising reports that cases of these two heart-related conditions were on the rise in the United States and the United Kingdom among those who received mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle while pericarditis is inflammation of the lining outside the heart. 

Benefits far outweigh the risks

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency has conducted risk assessments on safety issues based on information obtained from other regulatory agencies and international references.

The MOH would summarise that the safety profiles of the vaccines remain positive and its use for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) will not be affected. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks

Health DG Dr Noor Hisham, 19 June 2021

Public health authorities worldwide are still studying the matter while MOH is also assessing if there’s a link with mRNA vaccines. 

As of 13 June, a total of 2,793,826 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were administered in Malaysia with 1,676,959 people having received their first dose and 1,116,867 for the second dose.

Cases reported in Singapore for myocarditis or pericarditis

Meanwhile across the causeway, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) reported 7 June four men aged 18 to 30 having myocarditis or pericarditis after their second jab of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. 

Another two cases were also reported involving one man and one woman who are both above 40 years old. 

HSA has said that based on the background incidence rates, the case involving those above 40 years old is within the baseline of incidence rate. However, the other four is at the upper end of the expected range for the 18-30 age group.

These rare occurrences happen more in men

The expert committee for Covid-19 vaccination in Singapore has advised adolescents and younger men to avoid strenuous activity for a week after their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as a precaution against a “small risk” of heart inflammation.

According to the HSA as reported by the Malay Mail, most cases of myocarditis and pericarditis are mild. 

They occur more often in men compared to women and are separate and distinct from heart attacks, which are caused when blood flow to the heart is blocked. 

Patients recover without the needs for significant intervention and do not suffer any long-term effects. Very rarely will severe cases result in damage to the heart muscles.

For other matters of the heart related to vaccines:

READ MORE: Weak Dating Game? Get Vaccinated, Suggests Malaysian Study


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