Study Shows 17 Percent of Students Who Received Pfizer COVID Vaccine Reported Cardiac Symptoms and 1/4,923 developed Myocarditis (0.02%)
The study was published in the European Journal of Pediatrics. It was funded by the Cardiac Children Foundation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-022-04786-0
The study was not submitted until October 24,2022 (published in January 5,2023) , possibly delayed due to high levels of COVID beginning in May.
In December 2021, in cooperation with the school vaccination system of Taipei City government, we performed a ECG screening study during the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccines. Serial comparisons of ECGs and questionnaire survey were performed before and after vaccine in four male-predominant senior high schools. Among 7934 eligible students, 4928 (62.1%) were included in the study. The male/female ratio was 4576/352.
In total, 763 students (17.1%) had at least one cardiac symptom after the second vaccine dose, mostly chest pain and palpitations.
• Through this mass ECG screening study after the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine we found: (1) The depolarization and repolarization parameters (QRS duration and QT interval) decreased significantly after the vaccine with increasing heart rate; (2) the incidence of post-vaccine myocarditis and significant arrhythmia are 0.02% and 0.08%; (3) The serial ECG screening method has high sensitivity and specificity for significant cardiac adverse effect
Conclusion: Cardiac symptoms are common after the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, but the incidences of significant arrhythmias and myocarditis are only 0.1%. The serial ECG screening method has high sensitivity and specificity for significant cardiac adverse effect but cost effect needs further discussed.
In Taiwan,[at the time] the incidence of COVID-19 was low (0.1% of total population till Mar 31, 2022) . High school students began to receive mass vaccination with BNT162b2 in September 2021. The second dose was given 12 weeks after the first.]
Adverse effects were higher after the 2nd dose. Therefore, the pre-vaccine ECG was actually after 1st vaccine dose.
[So technically, not baseline but probably not a big deal]
Although the ECG change may be more significant around 3–4 days after vaccine, we perform ECG 2 days after vaccination to see if this policy can be the tool of early detection of cardiac adverse events. This could decrease the detection rate of cardiac adverse effects.
[I would think measuring troponin levels would be an easier, cheaper and more convenient early detection measure. It would also serve as a measure of the effectiveness of ECG in detecting subclinical myocarditis]
In the present study, we relied on the school reporting system for the serious cardiac outcomes including arrhythmia and myocarditis/pericarditis, and not all of the students receive complete cardiology workup including troponin, echocardiography, and Holter ECG monitoring. In addition, 18 of patients with ECG changed [51 in total] did not seek medical investigation after positive screening result. These may underestimate the incidence of minor form myocarditis/ pericarditis and arrhythmia.
The 18 students who did not receive medical care showed no symptoms in a one-month follow-up visit, according to the researchers.
[This sets off alarm bells because “lost to follow up” is a great way to hide results. Not saying this happened and they had no symptoms after one month, but still. How many parents in Taiwan aren’t going to check their kids heart out when requested to do so. They all have national insurance and plenty of nearby hospitals in Taipei. Also, another alarm bell is not specifying how many did not complete cardiology workup . Plus there are no supplementary tables showing the data for those who did, especially troponin values]
The ECG screening was able to detect cardiac adverse events but limitations of the research included uncertainty as to whether ECG screening can identify all myocarditis cases.
[Again, not just do troponin tests on all to eliminate the uncertainty]
A paper from researchers studying Thailand students (smaller study） who received a Pfizer dose found that nearly 30% experienced heart effects, including palpitations and shortness of breath, and 2.5% boys showed subclinical myocarditis , so the Taiwan paper is showing a lesser effect.
https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/7/8/196
Also, 1% (51) were recommended as needing medical investigation for cardiac issues (0.08% had significant arrhythmia). Of those made aware they had a serious arrhythmia, they likely were instructed to curtail their physical activity and possibly averted a fatal event by doing so , although nobody could say for sure. Lets face it, most kids aren’t getting ECG’s after being jabbed and resume normal activities right away.
The study was interesting because it was done following a decision by Taiwan officials to suspend the 2nd dose on November 10,2021 following 23 cases of myocarditis. A decision to resume vaccinations in mid-December following an investigation was made by the end of November. I suspect this study was put together in haste as a safety valve so they could pull the plug quickly if needed, and also to cover their arses.
November 12, 2021
According to Central Epidemic Command Center spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang, 1.1 million people aged between 12-17 have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Taiwan.
Twenty-three adolescents, aged 12 to 17, have experienced myocarditis or pericarditis after having their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Taiwan,
November 28,2021
The CECC on Monday announced that adolescents aged 12 to 17, who had received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, should receive a second dose, and that it was preparing to start on-campus vaccinations in the middle of this month (December).
.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/12/01/2003768822
Now following the roll out of the 2nd dose a 2nd study monitoring Taiwans VAERS system through February 2022 was done and published in October
October 13, 2022.
Among 204 cases who met the case definition of myocarditis/pericarditis, 75 cases occurred after the first dose and 129 after the second. The reporting rate of myocarditis/pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination varied across sex and age groups and was highest after the second dose in males aged 12–17 years (126.79 cases per million vaccinees) for the BNT162b2 vaccine and in males aged 18–24 years (93.84 cases per million vaccinees) for the mRNA-1273 vaccine.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.11.22280860v1
So we know 23 of those 75 cases were in the 12-17 group after 1.1 million doses. Assuming this group got 1.1 million 2nd doses, and experienced a rate of 126.79 cases per million doses, this means an additional 115 cases of myocarditis/pericarditis were reported, which is a rate of 1/9,565 or 0.01%.
This more or less independently validates the first study unless there was collusion (Taiwan is a small place medically speaking and most of the Doctors from both studies are from the same hospital-National Taiwan University)
Is 0.01% -0.02% myocarditis high for a disease which mostly does not affect children 12-17? I think so . Thats 1/5000-10,000.
Also, as mentioned above 1% were also recommended as needing medical treatment for cardiac issues (0.08% had significant arrhythmia). How many kids seek medical treatment for COVID which is mostly just another cold to them
And the median IFR for COVID was 0.0003% at 0–19 years according to this Lancet study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001393512201982X
There were no COVID deaths in children before 2022. The Vaccination of 12-17 year olds began in the fall of 2021 , 5-11 year olds in May , 2022 and 0-4 in August, 2022
As of 1/9/23 there have been 326 deaths in the 0-19 age group (259 in the under 10, 67 in the 10-19) . Unfortunately , I cant find a better breakdown
There are only 4 million children 0-19 in all of Taiwan, yet 0.0082% have died of COVID, yet according to the Lancet study the median IFR is 0.0003%
Statista breakdown
Assuming everyone has had Covid, which seems unlikely but not impossible, the mortality rate for kids is 27 x higher than the Lancet Studies median IFR calculations which include the pre-Vaccine era
The 0-9 mortality rate is 0.013% is even higher.
Maybe these are just kids dying with COVID and not from COVID, or something, something else.