Adolescents quickly recover from the rare myocarditis side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine: Study

Most young people under the age of 21 with suspected COVID-19 vaccine-related myocarditis known as myocarditis improved their mild symptoms rapidly, according to a new study published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal. .. circulation..

Myocarditis is rare but a serious condition that causes inflammation heart logic. It can weaken the heart and affect the heart’s electrical system. This keeps the heart pumped on a regular basis. Most often, it is the result of an infection and / or inflammation caused by the virus.

“In June of this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Immunization Implementation Advisory Committee reported a possible link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and myocarditis, especially in people under the age of 39. -19 cases of vaccine-related myocarditis are rare and most are mild, “says Donald. M. Lloyd Jones, MD, Sc.M., FAHA, President of the American Heart Association, was not involved in the study. “Overwhelmingly, the data show that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination (91% effective in preventing complications of severe COVID-19 infection, including hospitalization and death) are very high in adverse events, including myocarditis. It continues to show that it goes far beyond rare risks. “

“The highest incidence of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination has been reported in adolescents and young adult men. Past studies have shown that this rare side effect is associated with other vaccines, especially. Smallpox vaccine“Senior authors of the new study, Dr. Jane W. Newberger, MPH, FAHA, Vice-Chairman of the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Cardiology, Federal Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and members of American Heart said. Association Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Youth Heart Health “Current data on symptoms, case severity, and short-term outcomes are limited, but large-scale cases of this suspected heart disease Group has begun to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine in teens and adults under the age of 21 in North America. “

Using data from 26 pediatric medical centers in the United States and Canada, researchers have shown symptoms and test results of myocarditis within a month of receiving COVID-19 vaccination prior to July 4. , Or reviewed medical records of patients under the age of 21 who showed imaging findings. , 2021. Cases with suspected vaccine-related myocarditis were classified as “probable” or “confirmed” using the CDC definition.

Of the 139 teens and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20, researchers identified and evaluated:

• Most patients were Caucasian (66.2%), 9 of 10 (90.6%) were male, and the median age was 15.8 years.
• Almost all cases (97.8%) were vaccinated with mRNA and 91.4% occurred after the second vaccination.
• Signs onset occurred at a median of 2 days after vaccination.
• Chest pain was the most common symptom (99,3%). Fever and shortness of breath occurred in 30.9% and 27.3% of patients, respectively.
• About 1 in 5 patients (18.7%) were admitted to the intensive care unit but did not die. Most patients were hospitalized for a few days.
• More than three-quarters (77.3%) of patients who underwent cardiac MRI showed evidence of myocardial inflammation or damage.
• Almost 18.7% had at least a slight decrease in left ventricular function (cardiac compression) at the time of presentation, but cardiac function returned to normal in all who returned for follow-up.

“These data suggest that most cases of suspected COVID-19 vaccine-related myocarditis in people under the age of 21 are mild and resolve quickly,” said the lead author of the study. , University of Utah Cardiologist and Pediatric Cardiologist at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. “I was very pleased to see this type of recovery, but I am waiting for further research to better understand the long-term outcomes of patients with COVID-19 vaccination-related myocarditis. Factors and mechanisms need to be studied. Because of this rare complication. “

Researchers say the study only looks at the immediate course of patients and lacks follow-up data, so future studies need to follow patients who have long-term suffering from vaccine-related myocarditis. increase. In addition, there are some important restrictions to consider. The research program was unable to estimate the proportion of people who were vaccinated by scientists and developed this rare complication, nor was it possible to test for risk / benefit ratios. The patients included in this study were also evaluated by the Academic Medical Center and may have been more severe than the other cases found in the area.

“Especially as these vaccines become more widely available to children, it is important for healthcare professionals and the general public to have information on the early signs, symptoms, and time course of recovery of myocarditis,” Truong said. Mr. says. “Studies are also planned to determine the long-term outcome of people with myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination.”

Researchers Healthcare professional Consider myocarditis in individuals presenting chest pain after COVID-19 vaccination, especially in boys and young men in the first week after the second vaccination.

“This study supports what we see. People were identified and treated early and appropriately for COVID-19. vaccination“These findings support the American Heart Association’s position that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, highly effective, life-saving, and the basis for protecting families and communities,” said Lloyd Jones. COVID-19, and end the pandemic. Get your child vaccinated as soon as possible. ”