Did children die from heart attacks during a vaccine trial?

Anti-vaxxers are spreading rumors that they have uncovered a pediatric death by cardiac arrest during the Moderna clinical trial. They claim that this death was hidden from the public and possibly the FDA.

The claim comes from an article by Alex Berenson, which makes several statements about a child’s death during Moderna’s KidCOVE clinical trial, as well as the safety and transparency of mRNA vaccine approval.

Vaccine clinical trials are closely monitored by regulatory agencies like the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Any serious events, including deaths, are reported to these agencies. Moderna’s report to the EMA noted the death and concluded it was not caused by the vaccine. Determining whether the vaccine caused the event involves careful review by independent experts. Information about serious events is also available in public databases, such as the EMA Clinical Trials Register and regulatory filings.

Cardiac arrest, though rare, can happen for many reasons, and just because it happened after vaccination does not mean the vaccine caused it. Moderna likely based its conclusion on medical evidence and expert reviews. The lack of similar cases in the trial further supports the finding that the vaccine wasn’t the cause.

While Moderna hasn’t yet posted results on ClinicalTrials.gov, it has shared reports with other regulatory agencies like the EMA, so there’s no evidence that results are being hidden.

And not for nothing, but kids want to get COVID vaccines, too.