This archive report was first published on 7 October 2021.
On October 7, 2021, Finland's health authorities announced a precautionary measure to pause the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for men born in 1991 and later.
The decision was made after a Nordic study found that men under 30 who received the Moderna Spikevax vaccine had a slightly higher risk of developing myocarditis, a rare heart muscle inflammation.
According to director Mika Salminen from the health institute, myocarditis usually heals on its own within a few days, but as a precaution, Finland will only administer Pfizer's vaccine to boys and young men.
Regulators in the United States, EU, and the World Health Organization have stated that the benefits of mRNA-based vaccines, including Moderna's and Pfizer-BioNTech's, continue to outweigh the risks in preventing COVID-19.
A Moderna spokesperson acknowledged the decisions by Swedish and Danish regulators, stating that myocarditis cases are typically mild and individuals tend to recover within a short time with standard treatment and rest.
