Thread by @HelenBranswell

1. I'm listening to some presentations to #ACIP on myocarditis associated with receipt of Moderna's Covid vaccine or mRNA vaccines in general.
CDC's Tom Shimabukuro was asked about deaths. He said there were 13 deaths reported, but so far none are thought to be vax-related.

2. @CDCgov is doing a study following up on people who reported myocarditis after mRNA vaccination. CDC's Ian Kracalik is presenting on that study now.

3. No surprise by now, most of the people reporting myocarditis after mRNA vaccination were young males.

4. The symptoms for most were mild and did not inhibit their ability to care for themselves or live their normal lives. But a fair proportion of them reported anxiety or depression.

5. Most people who developed myocarditis after vaccination were fully recovered by 38 weeks after the event.

6. The main findings of the study following up people who reported myocarditis following receipt of mRNA vaccine.

7. @tmprowell makes an important point. There are multiple cases of myocarditis; five of the fatal cases in the schematic below were caused not by vaccination, but by other such causes. They include viral infections, such as Covid.
#ACIP has broken for a 15 minute lunch break.

8. @CDCgov is now making a presentation on how it is about to update its clinical guidance on Covid vaccine for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. It's going to shorten the interval for the 4th dose for people who got an mRNA vaccine to 3 months from 5.

9. And people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised & who got the J&J vaccine initially are now being encouraged to get a 3rd dose, two months or longer after their first booster.

10. For people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and who initially were vaccinated with the J&J vaccine, the 3rd dose must be one of the mRNA vaccines.

11. @CDCgov is going to recommend revaccination of some people who got vaccinated before or while undergoing treatments that would deplete their B cells (CAR-T, hematopoietic stem cell transplant) should be revaccinated afterwards. This advice was welcomed by clinicians on ACIP.

12. And where previously @CDCgov recommended deferring Covid vaccination after getting passive antibody products (ie monoclonals), it is lifting the recommendation for a deferral.

13. I had to stop listening to #ACIP about mid afternoon — other news got in the way. But ... no surprise ... the committee voted to recommend use of the Moderna #Covid vaccine. And @CDCDirector signed off on that recommendation. cdc.gov/media/releases…