Tuesday, Sep. 14, 2021
Did a recent study increase the focus on COVID-19 vaccine side effects for boys between 12 and 15 years old?
Recent studies have highlighted tradeoffs for some young teenage boys between COVID-19 vaccines’ side effects and their protective benefits.
A study that has yet to be peer-reviewed indicates that healthy 12-17 year-olds may be two to six times more likely to have a cardiac-related side effect from the vaccine than to be hospitalized with COVID-19 if they don't take it. The study found post-vaccine “cardiac adverse events” were highest among boys aged 12-15 after the second dose.
Another study found this subgroup has the highest risk of developing similar cardiac problems as a result of contracting COVID-19.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control conducted a risk-benefit analysis showing that vaccination for boys aged 12-17 prevents 5,700 COVID-19 cases at a cost of 56-69 myocarditis cases. It recommends full vaccination for everyone 12 and over. U.K. experts have advised giving boys from 12 to 15 just a single dose.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- medrXiv SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination-associated myocarditis in children ages 12-17: A stratified national database analysis
- medrXiv Risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection in people under age 20: A population-based analysis
- Centers for Disease Control Clinical considerations: Myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
- MedPage Today Here's why experts are comfortable with myocarditis numbers
- BBC Why is the UK waiting when others are jabbing young teens?
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Is there a scientific consensus that life begins at conception?
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022
Do countries around the world subsidize fossil fuels?
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022
Is the repeal of Roe v. Wade expected to increase the maternal death rate?
Wednesday, Jul. 27, 2022