Hold Tight and Keep your Moderna Vaccine Appointments!

“The second dose of Moderna causes heart inflammation!’’ cries the viewers behind their TV’s, avoiding their appointments. It’s all dependent on how well you know your underlying health conditions, in consideration that anaphylactic side effects are unlikely. On June 11, 2021, there were three cases, however Toronto Public Health professionals believe there is a link between the Moderna vaccine and people developing myocarditis. 

     Perhaps the ups and downs this pandemic has brought with social media can be that horrific influencer, and of such Tik Tok style memes that turn into worries. Ever heard that the vaccines can cause chronic illnesses, autism, or surprisingly, homophobia? In fact this originated from an unsuccessful 1997 study done by Andrew Wakefield, a British surgeon. He published this myth into a medical journal called The Lancet and soon later on he lost his medical license due to spreading errors across the medical industry stating that measles was the disease to blame for autism.

     Health officials found out that this heart inflammation issue is being caused by myocarditis, which is when the heart muscle begins to have inflammation, as well as pericarditis, where there is an inflammation of the lining of the heart.

     The Moderna coronavirus vaccine was made by a biotechnological company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The way the vaccine works is that it inserts nucleoside-modified messenger RNA into human cells, which makes the cells in your body create immune responses in a form that is preparing your body to protect you from COVID-19 if you get it. 

     Canada has doctors from the Canadian Pediatric Cardiovascular association investigating more about these heart cases in Ontario. This is mostly affecting males of the ages sixteen to thirty years old, two times more likely than females due to the results of various reports in Ontario. Cardiovascular disease develops 7-10 years later in women than in men, therefore when it comes to clinical trials men earn more rebellious treatment strategies due to their overall vulnerability to heart diseases.

     Heart inflammation has affected a 16 year old boy on CTV news who had to go to the hospital for extra ventilation due to their serious symptoms of painful breathing, and chest pain/pressure that showed up one week after his second dose. “So far all the reports we are hearing, the cases are mild… that it will be rare, and that 95 percent will be managed as outpatients. We don’t expect they will have any adverse long-term outcomes,” said Dr. Brian McCrindle, a researcher from the Canadian Pediatric Cardiovascular association.

     One of the ways people develop anaphylactic side effects to Moderna is because they are allergic to the ingredients shellfish, lipid nanoparticles or polyethylene glycol and have no idea, again people who see fake news don’t realise they can still be able to go to the hospital, get treated and most likely get released quickly. This is a reason why I believe people should never refrain from getting their vaccines because they are exposed to websites or clickbaits that seem so real yet there are some who didn’t learn how to distinguish if websites are real or fake news. People should not fear vaccines because their doctors know the exact ingredients mixed into each and every one of these vaccines. I believe this should cut back people’s worries when it comes to tackling their underlying cardiovascular or respiratory related illnesses.

     The heart inflammation symptoms go away in one day and is a sign for some males that it is creating immune responses to protect your body from getting COVID. I mean who would want to leave their body vulnerable to Alzheimer’s? Myocarditis is caused by various viral infections that range from the usual cold, to gastrointestinal illness. When myocarditis forms in the body it triggers the inflammation of the heart, hence resulting in a body’s immune response meaning it goes away after an infection. If it affects the heart’s ability to pump blood, referred to as arrhythmia, it must be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids.

     Should you still have concerns for the side effects of your second vaccine shot against COVID-19, reach out to your family doctor/health care provider prior to booking your appointment. Always make sure you qualify your safety first, comprehending that you know exactly what is going into your body, and that it will give you side effects that you know you will familiarize yourself with. 

Sources 

1. Favaro, Avis. “Ontario Doctors Probing Three Cases of Heart Inflammation in Teens Following MRNA Vaccination.” Coronavirus. CTV News, June 11, 2021. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/ontario-doctors-probing-three-cases-of-heart-in flammation-in-teens-following-mrna-vaccination-1.5467484.
2. https://www.dw.com/en/covid-mrna-vaccine-linked-to-heart-inflammation-myocarditis-pericardit is/a-58031463 
3. “A To Z Symptom: Malaise and Fatigue (for Parents) – HackensackUMC.” KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://kidshealth.org/Hackensack/en/parents/az-malaise.html. 
4. Lovelace Jr, Berkeley. “CDC Says Heart Inflammation Cases Were Higher than Expected in 16- to 24-Year-Olds after Second Covid Vaccine Shot, but Still Rare.” CNBC. CNBC, June 10, 2021.  https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/10/covid-vaccine-cdc-says-heart-inflammation-cases-in-16 -to-24-year-olds-higher-than-expected-after-second-shot.html.
5. Ireland, Nicole. “Worried about Heart Inflammation and COVID-19 Vaccines? Here’s What We Know | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, June 4, 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/myocarditis-heart-inflammation-covid-vaccine-1.605396
6. Writers, Staff. “Vaccine Myths Debunked.” PublicHealth.org. PublicHealth.org, June 30, 2021.  https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/vaccine-myths-deb unked/. 
7. Health, World Organization. “The Moderna COVID-19 (MRNA-1273) Vaccine: What You Need to Know.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, January 26, 2021. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-moderna-covid-19-mrna-1273-va ccine-what-you-need-to-know?gclid=Cj0KCQjw24qHBhCnARIsAPbdtlKkx3J-LGvQrktw WrjGmEyU-pzZJy87Riko2fbG8b6IdNq85nm2fOIaAt1IEALw_wcB. 
8. “Moderna.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 30, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderna.
9. Medical Correspondent, Avis Favaro. “Ontario Doctors Probing Three Cases of Heart Inflammation in Teens Following MRNA Vaccination.” iHeartRadio, June 12, 2021. https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-content/ontario-doctors-probing-three-cases-of-heart-inflammation-in-teens-following-mrna-vaccination-1.15404559.
10. Moderna Covid Vaccine Update: Is the Moderna Vaccine Safe? Allergic Reactions and Side Effects. Canada: Youtube, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv3REjrZDio.