CDC Follows Up on Rare COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect, Urges Continued Vaccination

Since April, some mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients have experienced heart inflammation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated this news last week by disclosing that mostly adolescents and young adults have been affected. 

The agency says these cases remain rare given the number of vaccine doses administered and still recommends vaccination for everyone aged 12 years and older. Also, most patients who received care in these cases responded well to medicine and rest and quickly felt better. 

The national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System has recorded incidents of such heart inflammation, myocarditis and pericarditis, after patients received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, CDC says. Those cases have occurred: 

  • Mostly in male adolescents and young adults aged 16 years or older;
  • More often after getting the second dose of one of these two COVID-19 vaccines than after the first dose; and
  • Typically within several days after COVID-19 vaccination. 

“CDC and its partners are actively monitoring these reports by reviewing data and medical records to learn more about what happened and to see if there is any relationship to COVID-19 vaccination,” the agency said on its website. 

More than 165 million people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., CDC reports. In Texas, 12.6 million people have had at least one dose, according to the latest figures from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).  

CDC offers a guide to help physicians find out more about diagnosing and evaluating patients with symptoms of myocarditis or pericarditis. Also, DSHS has created a series of new social media tools, videos, and other communications tools designed to help promote COVID-19 vaccination

As always, TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters program offers a variety of resources on COVID-19 vaccines. And check the TMA COVID-19 Resource Center regularly for up-to-date news and the latest TMA materials for your practice.

Last Updated On

June 01, 2021

Originally Published On

June 01, 2021