Pfizer Covid vaccine linked to 26 new cases of heart inflammation in Australia

There have been more reports in Australia of a side effect of the Pfizer vaccine common in teenage boys.

The number of cases of heart inflammation linked to the Pfizer Covid vaccine in Australia has risen to 341 from about 23.9 million doses.

There were 26 new cases of the rare side effect known as myocarditis reported in the week ending November 21.

There was also one new blood clots case linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine following a first dose. It involved a 67-year-old woman from Victoria.

The new case increased the total Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) or blood clots cases to 164 out of 13.4 million doses. Of these 148 (81 confirmed, 62 probable) related to a first dose and 21 to a second dose (six confirmed, 15 probable).

Eight people have died as a result of blood clots – six of these were women.

A medical staff member prepares a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine. Picture: AFP

There have also been a total of 150 reports of suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) occurring after vaccination with AstraZeneca, a rare but sometimes serious immune disorder affecting the nerves.

And a total of 90 reports of suspected immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) following vaccination with AstraZeneca, a rare immune reaction that can occur after a viral infection or vaccination when platelets, which help blood to clot, are mistakenly destroyed.

The figures were released in the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Covid-19 vaccine weekly safety report on Thursday afternoon.

Myocarditis is reported in one to two in every 100,000 people who receive Pfizer, although it is more common in young men and teenage boys after the second dose (five to 11 cases per 100,000 doses).

The youngest case to date in Australia was a 12-year-old boy.

“The number of reports of myocarditis is increasing each week, which is expected as the number of vaccine doses given also increases each week. We are closely monitoring the rates of myocarditis for all age groups and sex. While there are some fluctuations from week to week, especially in subgroups with small numbers of reports, rates of reporting of myocarditis in Australia are consistent with rates reported internationally,” the TGA says.

Of the cases classified as likely to be myocarditis, most of the patients experienced symptoms within three days of vaccination.

Around half of the patients were admitted to hospital with nine treated in intensive care. Most patients treated in hospital were discharged within four days.