Therapy Areas: Cardiovascular
Study indicates that rare myocarditis side effect of COVID-19 vaccine is mild and improves quickly
7 December 2021 -

According to a report published on Monday in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association (AHA), the few paediatric recipients of COVID-19 vaccines who develop a heart muscle inflammation known as myocarditis are likely to have mild symptoms that improve quickly, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.

This rare side effect has been most often reported among adolescent and young adult males.

Researchers reviewed data from 26 children's hospitals across the United States and Canada, focusing on 49 patients ages 12 to 20 who were hospitalised for "confirmed" myocarditis within a month of receiving the vaccine and 91 with "probable" myocarditis. Most (91%) participants in the study were male, 66% were white and the average age was about 16 years.

The study revealed that while 19% required intensive care, no one died. Half of the patients were sent home within two days.

According to the researchers, while COVID-19 vaccine-related myocarditis is usually mild and usually resolves quickly, the condition is nevertheless "a cause of great concern," and it is not clear yet how patients do over the long term.

They however concluded, "its risk must be balanced against critical illness and cardiovascular involvement" associated with COVID-19.

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