Less than half of those ages 18 to 24 have gotten their first shot, according to the CDC. Meanwhile only 42% of those 16-to-17 have gotten a shot. And among the adolescents most recently cleared for the shot, just 29% have received their first dose.
The Pfizer-BioNTech shot was cleared for those 12 to 15 years old in May. About 2 in 10 adolescents in that age group are now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Initial safety findings from the U.S. health agency suggest real-world data is consistent with the results from the companies’ clinical trial prior to authorization.
In the spring, the CDC observed a spike in reports of an inflammation of the heart called myocarditis, and inflammation of the membrane around the heart, or pericarditis, following vaccination.
A total of 1,226 cases have been reported through June 11, according to the CDC, most of which were among young men and adolescents.
“We’re observing this in younger age groups, mainly teens and early twenties,” said Tom Shimabukuro, a safety expert of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, at the meeting.
The risk of heart inflammation following mRNA vaccination in adolescents and young adults age 12-to-39 is notably higher a few days after the second dose of the vaccine and in men, Shimabukuro said. More data are needed to understand risk factors, treatment and long-term outcomes, according to the advisory committee.
Still, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that mRNA vaccines have been successful in preventing severe illness and death among young people.
For every million second doses of an mRNA vaccine administered to those 18-to-24-year-olds, the CDC projects 26,000 cases of Covid and 1,657 hospitalizations are prevented, while only 49 to 61 cases of myocarditis may develop.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit, Walensky added that the data presented at the advisory committee meeting still “overwhelmingly demonstrate that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.”
—With assistance from Elaine Chen.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.