Heart Issues in Young COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients Rare, Usually Mild, Quickly Resolve

THURSDAY, June 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Following a special meeting of a vaccine advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the heads of the CDC and many leading U.S. medical organizations came out in strong support of COVID-19 vaccinations for young Americans.

At issue during Wednesday’s discussion were cases of myocarditis or pericarditis in young people who have received the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Most cases are mild, but some patients have been hospitalized.

After looking over the data, a consortium of health agencies said this in a joint statement: “The facts are clear: This is an extremely rare side effect, and only an exceedingly small number of people will experience it after vaccination. Importantly, for the young people who do, most cases are mild, and individuals recover often on their own or with minimal treatment. In addition, we know that myocarditis and pericarditis are much more common if you get COVID-19, and the risks to the heart from COVID-19 infection can be more severe.”

The statement was issued by a group of health agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the American Nurses Association.

“We strongly encourage everyone age 12 and older who are eligible to receive the vaccine under Emergency Use Authorization to get vaccinated,” the group said. “Especially with the troubling Delta variant increasingly circulating, and more readily impacting younger people, the risks of being unvaccinated are far greater than any rare side effects from the vaccines. If you get COVID-19, you could get severely ill and be hospitalized or even die. Even if your infection is mild, you or your child could face long-term symptoms following COVID-19 infection such as neurological problems or diminished lung function.”

Joint Statement

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