New victims of the Pfizer vaccine
An 11-year-old Hong Kong girl vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech
vaccine had symptoms of myocarditis. (
https://bit.ly/3A8u6dg)
Since then, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection extended
the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer
BioNTech vaccine from three to eight weeks for people between
18 and 59.
Dr. Edmund Lam Wing-wo, a member of the Scientific Committee
on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, responded on a radio program on
June 20, 2022, that the World Health Organisation announced in
January 2022 their recommendation for an 8-week interval between
the first two doses. Studies have also shown that the risk of
myocarditis or pericarditis caused by a longer interval could be
lower. But due to the severe pandemic situation in Hong Kong during
January, when all citizens were in urgent need of injections, they
decided not to follow the WHO guidelines.
WHO updated the vaccination interval guidelines in January 2022.
The interval between the first and second doses should be four to
eight weeks, where eight weeks can provide better immunity, and
also lower the chance to suffer from myocarditis or pericarditis.
Dr. Lam added that comparing the longer and shorter intervals, the
risk of developing pericarditis is 10 times lower for the longer
interval compared with the shorter interval. And as younger people
have a higher chance of developing the symptoms, the recommended
interval in January 2022 for vaccination of them was made at 12
weeks.
On Feb. 25, 2022, the government proposed to reduce the interval
between the first two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those
aged 5 to 17, from 12 weeks to eight weeks; and that between the
18 to 59-years-olds has remained at three weeks. For children 5 to
17 years old with an impaired immune system (immunocompromised)
a three-week interval was recommended.
As to why the WHO's 8-week vaccination interval was not followed,
Dr. Lam said that they had to consider all factors such as the risk
of different age groups and changes in the local pandemic situation.
In January, the pandemic situation in Hong Kong became increasingly
urgent, and it was under high pressure to let the public complete the
vaccination as soon as possible to enhance general protection. He
believes that only because of the risk of myocarditis, as well as
long-term antibody levels, the vaccination interval was extended
to eight weeks.
As for the chance of having adverse conditions for those who received
the second dose of the vaccine three weeks from the first, Lam said
that they should not worry, because the chance of suffering from
myocarditis is extremely low. There might only be minor symptoms
such as raised heartbeat within one week after vaccination. The risk
associated with myocarditis remains extremely low even by then. He
suggested that if there is no urgent need, the public can choose to
be re-vaccinated after eight weeks, which is both beneficial to the
long-term protection and to the risk of myocarditis.
Front-line independent doctors in the United States together with
leading heart specialist Dr. Peter McCullough and vaccine specialist
Dr. Robert Malone said children are at such a low risk of serious
health problems from COVID-19 and should not be vaccinated at all.
