The number of reported adverse events following COVID vaccines continues to climb, according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data comes directly from reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

VAERS is the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.

Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received as of a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date. Today’s data show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and May 21, a total of 227,521 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 4,406 deaths — an increase of 205 over the previous week — and 21,537 serious injuries, up 3,009 since last week.

From the 5/21/21 release of VAERS data.

This week’s data showed 3,449 total adverse events, including 58 rated as serious, among 12- to -17-year-olds.

In the U.S 281.6 million COVID vaccine doses had been administered as of May 21. This includes 120 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine, 152 million doses of Pfizer and 10 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine.

Of the 4,406 deaths reported as of May 21, 23% occurred within 48 hours of vaccination, 16% occurred within 24 hours and 38% occurred in people who became ill within 48 hours of being vaccinated.

This week’s VAERS data show:

CDC investigating heart problems in teens, adolescents after COVID vaccine

On May 24, The Defender reported the CDC is investigating reports of teens and young adults vaccinated against COVID who experienced heart problems. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices released an advisory May 17 alerting doctors to reports of myocarditis, which seemed to occur predominantly in adolescents and young adults, more often in males than females, more often following the second dose and typically within four days after vaccination with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Most cases appeared to be “mild” and follow-up is ongoing.

The CDC said its monitoring systems had not found more cases of myocarditis than would be expected in the population, but members of the committee on vaccinations said healthcare providers should be made aware of the reports of the “potential adverse event.”

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and death. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, myocarditis can result from infections, but “more commonly the myocarditis is a result of the body’s immune reaction to the initial heart damage.” Pericarditis is inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart that can cause sharp chest pain and other symptoms.

As The Defender reported May 26, one week after the CDC announced it was investigating heart inflammation in recently vaccinated young adults, Connecticut reported 18 new cases of heart problems among teens who had received a COVID vaccine. All 18 cases resulted in hospitalization — the vast majority for a couple of days, while one individual remained hospitalized as of May 26.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing Monday the Biden administration will continue to advise young people to get vaccinated, despite reported cases of myocarditis.

A search in VAERS revealed 419 cases of pericarditis and myocarditis, among all age, groups reported in the U.S following COVID vaccination between Dec.14, 2020 and May 21. Of the 288 cases reported, 247 cases were attributed to Pfizer, 151 cases to Moderna and 20 cases to J&J’s COVID vaccine.

Moderna to seek FDA authorization for 12- to 17-year-olds in early June

On May 25, Moderna announced its vaccine was found to be safe and 100% effective at protecting against COVID in a phase 3 trial of more than 3,700 participants between the ages of 12 and 17, Axios reported. No significant safety concerns were identified and side effects were generally consistent with those seen in an earlier trial of adults, the company said.

Moderna plans to seek expanded Emergency Use Authorization of its COVID vaccine for teens from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next month. If approved, it would be the second vaccine available to young teens.

Number of kids hospitalized for COVID inflated by at least 40%

On May 26, The Defender reported that two papers published in the journal of Hospital Pediatrics found pediatric hospitalizations for COVID were overcounted by at least 40%, carrying potential implications for nationwide figures used to justify vaccinating children.

One study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that counting SARS-CoV-2 infections in hospitalized children overestimated the impact of COVID in pediatric populations because the numbers included many asymptomatic patients.

Out  of 117 hospital admissions, the authors concluded 53 patients (45%) were admitted for reasons unrelated to the virus. The study also found 39.3% (or 46 patients) coded as SARS-CoV-2 were actually asymptomatic.

In the second study, out of 146 records listing patients as positive for SARS-CoV-2 from May 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2020, the authors classified 58 patients (40%) as having “incidental” diagnosis — meaning there was no documentation of COVID symptoms prior to hospitalization.

The same study categorized 68 patients, or 47%, as “potentially symptomatic,” which was defined as when “COVID-19 was not the primary reason for admission for these patients, and COVID-19 alone did not directly require hospitalization without the concomitant condition.”

“Our goal is to make sure we have accurate data on how sick children are getting,” said Dr. Alan Schroeder, a clinical professor of pediatric critical care and of pediatric hospital medicine. “If we rely on hospitals’ positive SARS-CoV-2 test results, we are inflating by about twofold the actual risk of hospitalization from the disease in kids.”

Children’s Health Defense asks anyone who has experienced an adverse reaction, to any vaccine, to file a report following these three steps.