U.S. health authorities have identified a possible link between Pfizer/BioNTech's updated COVID-19 shot and a type of brain stroke in older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people aged 65 and over are more likely to have an ischemic stroke 21 days after receiving the bivalent shot, compared with days 22-44. An ischemic stroke, also known as brain ischemia, is caused by blockages in arteries that carry blood to the brain.
The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both stated that the concern requires further investigation and is unlikely to represent a true clinical risk. Pfizer and BioNTech have reported limited cases of ischemic strokes in people 65 and older following vaccination, but have not observed similar findings across numerous other monitoring systems in the US and globally.
Moderna’s bivalent shot has not been linked to this safety concern. Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, as well as the CDC and FDA, continue to recommend that everyone 6 months and older be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination.
U.S. health authorities have identified a potential link between Pfizer/BioNTech's updated COVID-19 shot and ischemic stroke in older adults. Ischemic stroke, also known as brain ischemia, is caused by blockages in arteries that carry blood to the brain and is more likely to occur 21 days after receiving the bivalent shot. The safety concern requires further investigation and the CDC and FDA have both stated that it is unlikely to represent a true clinical risk.
Pfizer and BioNTech have reported limited cases of ischemic strokes in people 65 and older following vaccination, but have not observed similar findings across other monitoring systems. Moderna’s bivalent shot has not been linked to this safety concern.
Despite the potential link, the CDC and FDA continue to recommend that everyone 6 months and older be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination. Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna urge people to receive the vaccine, noting that the potential benefits of protection against COVID-19 far outweigh the potential risks.