(Update: August 20, 2021 at 5:59 a.m. ET)
The federal health officials are investigating whether the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA)is linked to even a higher risk of a rare side effect called myocarditis in younger adults than initially expected, The WashingtonPost reported citing people familiar with the matter.
The people have stressed that the side effect affecting the heart “probably” continues to be uncommon. The probe has involved the officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The investigation is reportedly focused on emerging data from Canada indicating that the vaccine carries a higher risk in the younger population than that from the rival COVID-19 shot from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX), in males below the age of 30 or so in particular.
The authorities are trying to establish whether the U.S. data also suggest a higher risk from Moderna’s (MRNA) vaccine in the population.
In June, the FDA moved to update the fact sheets of Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX) and Moderna (MRNA) vaccines to reflect the likelihood of rare cases of heart inflammation following their administration.
Moderna sink over 2% in premarket trading.
