CDC group says there’s a link between heart inflammation after Covid shot

June 25, 2021: According to recent data, a CDC safety group said there’s a “likely association” between an heart inflammation condition in young adults after their second Covid-19 vaccine dose.

There have been over 1,200 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis, in people 30 and under who received Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine, according to a series of slide presentations published on Wednesday for a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, whereas pericarditis is the inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart.

“Clinical presentation of myocarditis cases after the vaccination has been distinct, occurring most often within one week after the second dose, with chest pain as the most common presentation,” said Dr. Grace Lee. She chairs the committee’s safety group. CDC officials are gathering data to fully understand the potential risks, manage them, and any long-term issues.

The agency said 267 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis were reported after receiving one dose of the mRNA vaccines and 827 reported cases after two doses through June 11. In addition, there are 132 additional cases where the number of amounts received is unknown, the CDC said.

Roughly 300 million of the doses had been administered as of June 11, the agency said.

“This is still a rare event,” Dr. Tom Shimabukuro said at the meeting. For both vaccines combined, there were 12.6 heart inflammation cases per million doses. However, the cases were more frequent among Moderna’s vaccine recipients at 19.8 points per million versus eight cases per million for Pfizer’s, he says.

Men under aged 30 make up the bulk of the cases, the CDC said, and most cases are mild. Of the 295 people who have developed the condition and are discharged, 79% of them have completely recovered, according to the presentation. However, according to the agency, nine people were hospitalized, with two in intensive care as of June 11.

CDC officials said the benefits of the Covid vaccine still outweigh the risks.

Cases among younger people are on the rise as older people get vaccinated at higher rates. According to CDC, the U.S. has vaccinated 177.6 million people with at least one dose, roughly 53% of the population. However, just 13.6% of 18- to-24-year-olds have had at least one vaccine dose in the U.S., compared with 26% of people ages 50 to 64, the data shows.

While older age groups have seen hospitalization rates fall, they’ve barely budged among adolescents and young adults, said the CDC’s, Dr. Megan Wallace.