Foreign Affairs

France And Germany Restrict Moderna Vaccine For Those Under 30

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Health authorities in France and Germany recommended against the Moderna vaccine for those under 30 on Wednesday, citing the risk of heart inflammation.

Germany’s Standing Commission on Vaccination recommended that those under 30 only receive the Pfizer vaccine, Forbes reported.

French health authorities, who said the risk of heart inflammation in those under 30 is five times higher with the Moderna vaccine than Pfizer’s, also recommend against the shot for this age demographic, Reuters reported. The Haute Autorite de Sante advises the French health sector but does not have the power to license or ban drugs, according to Reuters.

France utilizes a vaccine passport system which requires people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering public spaces such as restaurants and gyms, and it will require booster shots for vaccine passports starting in December, according to Politico. Germany also has a vaccine passport system.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) stated that myocarditis and pericarditis are rare side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations and that five people of old age or with natural or associated diseases in the European Economic Area died of their complications as of July. The EMA advised the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

Several other countries have expressed concerns about Moderna vaccine usage for young people in. Sweden paused use of the vaccine for those born after 1991 over myocarditis and pericarditis in October, and health officials in Canada warned of higher risks of heart inflammation for the Moderna vaccine compared to Pfizer’s.