CDC Says There Are Eight Cases Of Myocarditis In Children 5-11 Years Old Who Receive The COVID-19 Vaccine

Illustration of a child's vaccination. (Wikimedia Commons/SELF Magazine)

JAKARTA - The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday it had received reports of eight cases of myocarditis, a type of inflammation of the heart, in children aged 5-11 years who received the COVID-19 vaccine with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

The CDC previously said the reporting rate of myocarditis for boys aged 16 to 17 could be more than 69 cases per million-second dose administered. And, about 40 cases per million-second dose in boys aged 12-15 years.

Quoting Reuters, December 17, the CDC did not say whether they believed there was a link between cases of myocarditis and the vaccine, or disclosed rates of myocarditis in the age group without vaccination.

The agency said there were more than 7 million doses of the vaccine in the 5-11 age group at the time of reviewing the data, with 5.1 million first doses and 2 million second doses. The cases have a mild clinical course, the CDC said.

The cases are reported in the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and presented by the CDC to its expert advisory panel.

Previously, US health authorities on November 2 last gave final approval for a pediatric dose of COVID-19 vaccine using the Pfizer vaccine, citing AP November 3.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed injections for children ages 5 to 11 at a dose of just one-third of the amount given to teens and adults. The CDC officially recommends who should receive FDA-approved vaccines.

The announcement by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky comes just hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer's vaccine should be opened to the 28 million young people in that age group.

The decision marks the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to gain strong protection from any COVID-19 vaccine.

"As a mother, I encourage parents with questions to speak with their pediatrician, school nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about vaccines and the importance of vaccinating their children," Walensky said in a statement at the time.