PARIS (AFP) - Moderna's Covid-19 jab carries a slight risk of usually non-serious heart problems, a study of the entire population of Denmark found on Friday (Dec 16).

       Incidences of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) after mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna had been noted in vaccine safety reports and small-scale studies.

       These reports led France, Denmark and other countries to earlier advise against Moderna's vaccine for people under 30 years old.

       "Vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna) was associated with a significantly increased rate of myocarditis or myopericarditis, especially among individuals aged 12 to 39 years," the study said.

       It said that vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab was only associated with an increased risk among women.

       The study published in the BMJ medical journal is the first to look at these side effects in an entire population.

       While it confirms the risks, it insists they are slight and that the risks posed by Covid-19 infection are greater.

       It noted that among the vaccinated who developed myocarditis or pericarditis, "only a few" had severe outcomes.

       In the case of the 21 people diagnosed with the conditions after receiving the Moderna vaccine, more than half of them were released from hospital within 72 hours and none died or were diagnosed with heart failure.

       "Our finding of a low absolute risk of myocarditis or myopericarditis with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 vaccination supports the overall benefits of such vaccination on an individual, societal and global level," the study concluded.

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