After regulators in several countries – including Canada, Finland and Sweden- had taken a more defensive stance on Moderna COVID-19 vaccine over higher risks of heart-related problems affecting younger people, France’s public health authority has recommended people under 30 to be given Pfizer’s jab instead, The Jerusalem Post reports.
HAS underlined its recommendation would be valid until more scientific findings on the matter are known and would apply regardless of the vaccine’s use as a first, second or “booster” dose.
Citing very rare risks linked to myocarditis noted in recent data on the Moderna vaccine and in a French study published on Monday, the Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) has recommended Pfizer’s Comirnaty instead of Moderna’s Spikevax jab, which carried five times higher risk of heart problems within the population aged under 30.
EMA, the drug regulator of the European Union, approved Spikevax as booster jab last month for all age groups over 18 despite its statement earlier on the possible link it found between myocarditis and Covid-19 vaccines from both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s jabs.
Yet, EMA also echoed the views expressed by US regulators and the WHO and pointed that the benefits of both vaccines continue to outweigh the risks in preventing Covid-19.
France’s HAS also said that, however, Moderna vaccine’s effectiveness was slightly superior for persons aged over 30 and it explicitly recommended its use.
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