Coronavirus: Finland joins Sweden and Denmark and suspends Moderna vaccine in young people

The health authorities of Finland announced this Thursday that they will suspend the vaccination of men under 30 years of age with the vaccine against COVID-19 of Moderna for the risk of cardiac inflammation, thus adding to the decision adopted on Wednesday by Sweden and Denmark.

The director of the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), Mika Salminen, said at a press conference that the drug from Modern has a slightly higher risk than other vaccines of developing myocarditis, according to a recent study carried out in the Nordic countries.

“Most of these myocarditis are mild and transient and heal by themselves after a few days of follow-up, but there is nevertheless a risk”said Salminen, who noted that this risk is higher in young men after receiving the second dose.

According to Salminen, the results of the study in Finland are similar to those of the rest of the Nordic countries, although in Finland there have been fewer cases of myocarditis than in Norway.

The Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) reported that six cases of cardiac inflammation have been detected to date in Finland, where around a million vaccines of the American firm have been administered Modern.

Sweden was the first Nordic country to announce the suspension of the vaccine Modern until December 1 for those under 30 years of age due to the “very small” risk of suffering myocarditis and pericarditis, according to the data of the aforementioned study.

“We follow the situation and act quickly so that the vaccines are as safe as possible and provide effective protection against covid-19”Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist at the Swedish Public Health Agency, said in a statement.

The Danish Directorate-General for Health appealed for “precaution” to suspend the use of Modern in those under 18 years of age, although he highlighted that no cases have been detected in this country.

“In Denmark 12 to 17 year olds have been preferentially invited to receive the Pfizer vaccine so far. As a precautionary principle, from now on we will only supply this preparation ”, It is stated in a statement.

Norway already used only the Pfizer vaccine for all minors, but from now on it will extend the recommendation to all those under 30 years of age.

The provisional data from the study by the Nordic health authorities have been sent to the European Medicines Agency for study.

Denmark was already the first country to suspend the AstraZeneza vaccine from its official vaccination program, and then that of Johnson & Johnson, which could however be received on a voluntary basis, while Norway subsequently adopted a similar measure.

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