• Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) defended using its COVID-19 vaccine, saying the protection it offers outweighs the risk of myocarditis seen in a small number of young men who received the shot, reports CNBC.

• The FDA last week said it requires more time to decide whether to authorize Moderna's vaccine for use in children ages 12 to 17.

• Reported cases of rare heart inflammation in men under age 30 are relatively higher after Moderna's vaccine than those who received Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) shot, Moderna Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul Burton told reporters on a call Thursday.

• Related Link: EMA's Committee To Assess Further Data On Risk Of Heart Inflammation With mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.

• Burton cited data from France on males ages 12 to 29. It showed 13.3/100,000 cases of myocarditis for Moderna's vaccine compared with 2.7 cases for the Pfizer vaccine.

• However, Burton also touted data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed the rates of mild or severe disease were lower in Moderna recipients than in those who received Pfizer's or Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) vaccines.

• Price Action: MRNA shares are down 2.34% at $223.75 during the market session on the last check Thursday.

• Image by Spencer Davis from Pixabay

See more from Benzinga

• Click here for options trades from Benzinga

• Oklahoma Supreme Court Overturns Opioid Ruling Against Johnson & Johnson

• Moderna, NIH At Odds Over Who Invented The Biotech's COVID-19 Shot: NYT

© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.