Vials of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The has released guidelines on the diagnosis and
treatment of rare heart inflammation issues following receiving
the COVID-19 vaccination.
Health
authorities in the US, Europe, and elsewhere have reported some rare cases of
myocarditis and pericarditis occurring in individuals who received COVID-19
vaccines, especially mRNA-based ones like or Moderna, with the
cause not yet made clear.
These heart
issues are more common among younger males and more often following the
second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, according to the latest statement from
the COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine
Safety (GACVS).
However, the Ministry
of Health noted the issues could worsen and become a danger to one’s life
without timely detection and treatment, and urged caution when the symptoms
indicate myocarditis/pericarditis like chest pain, shortness of breath, or
palpitations following vaccination.
The symptoms
typically appear 2-4 days after vaccination, but earlier occurrence (12 hours
after vaccination) or later is also possible.
Physical
examination may reveal no distinctive features or only pericardial friction
rub, and the individual in question could have a fever or not.
Myocarditis/pericarditis
respond well to conservative treatment and the condition improves within 3-5
days, but in some cases, it could turn acute, with manifestations of symptoms
such as acute pulmonary oedema, acute heart failure, tamponade pericardial
effusion, cardiogenic shock, tachyarrhythmias/bradycardias, fainting, and even
sudden death.
All people who
suffer from suspect symptoms need to notify the health ministry’s hotline
19009095 or come to the nearest hospitals to rule out the possibilities of
acute myocarditis.
In case of
acute myocarditis, the patient needs to be closely monitored at a facility
capable of performing cardiovascular resuscitation, and if the condition gets
worse, the patient would need to be moved to a specialised heart hospital.
There is no
specific treatment regime for post-vaccine acute myocarditis and pericarditis
as yet. The recommended measures are to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs and the medical staff must be ready to provide respiratory/circulatory
support when there are critical developments such as acute pulmonary oedema,
acute heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock or pericardial effusion.
In case of
heart failure with pulmonary oedema, the priority is to administer intravenous
loop diuretics, oxygen, and assisted ventilation.
For people who
had myocarditis/pericarditis after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, if an
additional dose(s) is required then another vaccine with a different technology
should be chosen.
The ministry
stressed the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the risks of myocarditis
and pericarditis even among young people and that the vaccine is the
way out of the pandemic.
“While
acknowledging the clear benefits of the mRNA vaccines in reducing deaths and
hospitalisations due to infections, the subcommittee encourages all
health professionals to report all events of myocarditis and other adverse
events observed with these and other vaccines,” the statement from the WHO
reads.
Vietnam has
placed an order of 30 million doses from Pfizer (the first shipment arrived on July 7) and received 2 million doses of Moderna as a
donation from the US government via the COVAX Facility on July 10./.
Source: VietnamPlus
