Health regulators are casting more suspicion on mRNA vaccines by shining a spotlight on rare safety issues.

Using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, several health officials plan to present concerns stemming from the deaths of 25 children who received the COVID-19 shot to a rejiggered CDC vaccine advisory committee meeting this week, The Washington Post reported. 

Heart inflammation known as myocarditis remains a potential side effect of the shot and can be deadly. But that outcome is rare in most vaccinated children, according to a recent presentation from the CDC. The agency also noted that 77% of reports in VAERS for children under 12 were related to vaccine administration errors. The COVID-19 infection, on the other hand, has been implicated in the deaths of 1,800 children under 18 and causes myocarditis at a significantly higher rate. 

Beyond vaccines, what will this ongoing scrutiny mean for the development of mRNA therapeutics? Hopefully not much, according to the CEO of Strand Therapeutics, who said the public’s attitude toward treatments based on the technology is often more open-minded. But mRNA therapy developers are still facing unique challenges. Today, we’re looking at companies in the hunt for the first approved mRNA therapeutic and the hurdles they’ll need to overcome.

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