> In summary, the risk of hospital admission or death from myocarditis is greater following COVID-19 infection than following vaccination and remains modest following sequential doses of mRNA vaccine including a third booster dose of BNT162b in the overall population.
> However, the risk of myocarditis following vaccination is consistently higher in younger males, particularly following a second dose of RNA mRNA-1273 vaccine.
This is an important reminder for policy makers and the public that vaccination policy cannot be reduced to a simple dichotomy.
Vaccines can be beneficial for the overall population AND present excess risk for certain sub-populations. Stratifying by age and sex is essential for discussions on this topic to be accurate and productive.
Moreover, it takes a long time and a large sample size for these anomalies to be detected with significant statistical power. Let's do our best to avoid frustrated bickering, we need all the patience and empathy we can muster.