The COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board (CV-ISMB) has advised the Ministry of Health in New Zealand to ensure that healthcare professionals and consumers remain vigilant and are aware of the signs of myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle) and pericarditis (swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart).

This advice follows the CV-ISMB's review of the death of a woman following her Comirnaty Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

The benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both COVID-19 infection and vaccine side effects, including myocarditis.

CV-ISMB Chair Dr John Tait says it’s important to thoroughly investigate significant and serious adverse events related to vaccination.  

“The Pfizer vaccine is highly effective in protecting against serious illness and death from COVID-19, and we remain confident about using it in New Zealand,” says Dr John Tait.