Key TakeawaysThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into a small number of cases of heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) in teenagers and young adults that occurred within days of receiving their second COVID vaccination dose.About 10 cases of myocarditis occur for every 100,000 people in the general population.It is not yet known if there is a correlation between COVID vaccination and an increased risk of myocarditis. However, getting sick with COVID-19 also puts you at risk for myocarditis and forlasting respiratory and heart problems, making vaccination all the more important.
Key Takeaways
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into a small number of cases of heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) in teenagers and young adults that occurred within days of receiving their second COVID vaccination dose.About 10 cases of myocarditis occur for every 100,000 people in the general population.It is not yet known if there is a correlation between COVID vaccination and an increased risk of myocarditis. However, getting sick with COVID-19 also puts you at risk for myocarditis and forlasting respiratory and heart problems, making vaccination all the more important.
The young adults (more males than females) developed symptoms of myocarditis within four days of receiving the second shot of either theModernaorPfizer-BioNTechvaccines—both of which are made with messenger RNA (mRNA).
For now, the CDC is urging healthcare professionals to look out for unusual heart symptoms in young people who have received any of the three COVID-19 vaccines that are approved in the United States. Currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine isapproved for use in children aged 12 and older in the U.S.
What Is Myocarditis?
Investigating Cases
In April, a few cases of myocarditis werereported in people in Israelwho had recently received a COVID vaccine. In early May, the CDC alerted physicians in the U.S. that it was receiving reports of myocarditis in adults who had recently been vaccinated.
Leslie Cooper, MDWe don’t believe the risk of myocarditis is a contraindication to vaccination.
Leslie Cooper, MD
We don’t believe the risk of myocarditis is a contraindication to vaccination.
Leslie Cooper, MD, the co-founder and medical director of the Myocarditis Foundation and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, tells Verywell that most of the reported cases of myocarditis in teens who had recently been vaccinated were mild. The patients were treated with anti-inflammatory drugs such asibuprofenand a drug calledcolchicine, and most have recovered without any long-term health problems.
Experts Say Link Between Heart Inflammation and COVID Shot Unlikely
Reporting and Tracking Cases
Cooper says that the incidence of myocarditis in the general population is estimated to be around 10 cases per 100,000 persons, but it can be up to 20 per 100,000 people in some locations. He does not have data on the number of cases of myocarditis in teenagers yet.
Cooper says that the number of cases of myocarditis in people of all ages being reported to VAERS is rising because more people are becoming aware of it. He estimates that overall, there could be around one case of myocarditis in every 100,000 vaccinations in all age groups—which is not that different from the baseline rate. However, Cooper adds that the rate in males between the ages of 18 and 25 appears to be a bit higher than the baseline rate.
Studies are underway on the potential risk of myocarditis for young people who have been vaccinated. Cooper cites one report of cases in the U.S. military, which has not been yet been published, which showed a rate of 14 cases of myocarditis in every 600,000 people vaccinated.
For now, Cooper says that experts “don’t believe the risk of myocarditis is a contraindication to vaccination.”
Symptoms of Myocarditis
Experts Want You To Get Vaccinated
The cases of myocarditis reported in people who recently got their COVID shot might be a situation in which two things are happening at the same time, but are not connected. Researchers refer to this as correlation versus causation.
Leslie Cooper, MDThis adverse event is not nearly as significant as the morbidity from the virus itself.
This adverse event is not nearly as significant as the morbidity from the virus itself.
Even if there is a connection between myocarditis and COVID-19 vaccines, Cooper stresses that getting vaccinated is still the wise thing to do.
“Yes, there is a small rate of cardiac injury, presumed to be myocarditis, in young people who received the mRNA vaccines, both Pfizer and Moderna,” says Cooper. “This adverse event is not nearly as significant as the morbidity from the virus itself.”
ACOVID-19 infection can cause cardiovascular problems, including myocarditis, in people who were previously healthy. Additionally, lingering cardiovascular symptoms, like heart palpitations and heart arrhythmias, can occur after a COVID infection.
COVID-19 and the Heart: A Look at Recent Research
As vaccination opens up for younger people, including teens, experts do not want concerns about myocarditis to deter people from getting vaccinated.
In an email to Verywell, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated that the “potentially rare side effect of myocarditis pales in comparison to the potential risks of COVID-19 infection.”
According to the AAP,nearly four million childrenin the U.S. have tested positive for the disease since the start of the pandemic. As such, the AAP recommends that people aged 12 and older be vaccinated against COVID-19.
What This Means For YouWhile a few cases of myocarditis have been reported in young adults who recently got their second dose of a COVID vaccine, it’s not yet clear whether there is a connection between the inflammation and the vaccine itself. However, getting sick with COVID does increase your risk for complications that can affect your heart, making vaccination all the more important.
What This Means For You
While a few cases of myocarditis have been reported in young adults who recently got their second dose of a COVID vaccine, it’s not yet clear whether there is a connection between the inflammation and the vaccine itself. However, getting sick with COVID does increase your risk for complications that can affect your heart, making vaccination all the more important.
Should You Get Your Heart Checked If You Had COVID-19?
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).COVID-19 VaST Work Group technical reportAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases.COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-052336
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).COVID-19 VaST Work Group technical reportAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases.COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-052336
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).COVID-19 VaST Work Group technical reportAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases.COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-052336
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).COVID-19 VaST Work Group technical report
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases.COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-052336
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