The U.S. Food and Drug Administration'(FDA) is delaying its decision on whether or not to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers due to concerns the jab may be causing rare heart inflammation.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports the decision that was expected to have been made by now has been pushed back a few weeks.
The FDA will be looking at any potential links Moderna has to heart inflammation, known as myocarditis, especially compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to the newspaper.
Last week, three Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, restricted the vaccine's use for young people over concerns of heart inflammation.
A fourth, Norway, also recommended young adults and adolescents opt for the Pfizer vaccine instead of the Moderna shot.
The FDA publicly defended the Moderna vaccine earlier this week, and concerns over heart inflammation in young people have long been warned about by U.S. health officials.
An FDA decision on whether the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will receive authorization for people younger than 18 will be delayed, according to a report, amid concerns over the vaccine causing heart inflammation in young people (file image)
Use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (pictured) has been restricted in Denmark, Finland and Sweden after the discovery of an increased risk of heart inflammation in young people that received the jab. Norway has also recommended young people to opt for the Pfizer vaccine instead
Currently, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is available to all Americans aged 18 or older.
It is the second most commonly used vaccine in the U.S., having been administered more than 153 million times, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It is a two-shot, mRNA based, vaccine just like the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, though the Pfizer shot has already received authorization in all Americans ages 12 and up.
Moderna is vying to have its shot receive the same level as authorization as its peer, though recent concerns emerging in Europe have pushed back this decision.
The Nordic nations made the decision to pause use of the vaccine in young people last week.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said that
