�WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th June, 2021) The US Defense Department has identified 30 cases of service members that suffered from a rare heart condition called myocarditis after receiving a dose of the mRNA-based Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for the novel coronavirus, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday.
Myocardities is an inflammation of the heart muscle that is usually caused by a viral infection. A severe case could cause heart failure, abnormal heartbeat, or even death.
"We've identified approximately 30 cases of myocarditis among the more than 3.6 million doses that we've administered," Kirby said during a press briefing. "We take each one seriously and we're working closely with the CDC and other Federal partners, academic medical professionals as well, to ensure we evaluate all cases consistently."
The Defense Department remains confident in the vaccines and continues to encourage the public to take them, Kirby said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said it would convene an emergency meeting on June 18 to discuss rare but higher-than expected numbers of people suffering from myocarditis after receiving doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
The CDC said that as of May 31, there have been some 226 cases of people with myocarditis and pericarditis after getting a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A majority have recovered, but 15 are still hospitalized, and three are in the intensive care unit.
The number of myocarditis cases is small compared to the 139 million Americans that have been fully vaccinated.
