Some covid-19 vaccines have been linked to HEART inflammation, particularly in children. A preliminary study suggests that this is more likely to occur after a coronavirus infection than after vaccination.
Some cases of myocarditis have been reported recently after using the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. This has caused concern in the US and Israel, as these two countries have pioneered the vaccination of children.
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The reaction occurs after the second dose in men and boys under 30 and lasts 10 days, according to Alma Iacob of Imperial College London. Some argue that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks for most people.
A new study from the United States has looked into how common myocarditis is after infection with the coronavirus. Researchers looked into the medical records of a fifth of the US population. Males aged 12 to 17 were most likely to develop myocarditis within three months of contracting covid-19, with 450 cases per million infections.
According to the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, there were 67 cases of myocarditis per million males of the same age following their second dose of a Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Researchers combined cases after the first and second doses to arrive at a total rate of 77 cases per million in this male age group, which is a sixth of the rate seen after infection.
“If you’re focused on heart inflammation, the safer bet is to take the vaccine,” says Mendel Singer at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, who helped carry out the study.
Palpitations and chest pain are symptoms of myocarditis. Symptoms range from mild to severe, causing permanent heart damage or death. Extreme cases are rare, and there have been no reported deaths in the US.
Myocarditis has unknown causes. The immune system attacking the heart is one theory, but not proven. And why it affects young males is unknown.
Mild cases are usually treated with ibuprofen and most people recover within a few months, says Iacob. Other triggers include the flu, flu vaccine, certain medications, and some illegal drugs.
The small risk of myocarditis after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is one reason why the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation hasn’t recommended it for most children aged 12 and up. While Ireland and the US allow teenagers to be vaccinated, the JCVI stated in July that only those at risk or living with someone with a compromised immune system should be vaccinated.
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Iacob warns those who have received a vaccine or covid-19 to watch for symptoms of myocarditis, including burning or sharp chest pain that worsens with movement.
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