San Diegans Among Hundreds of Young People Reporting Heart Condition After Vaccine, Prompting CDC Investigation
A link between the symptoms and vaccine hasn’t been proven yet, but the CDC has said evidence is growing stronger.
More than 300 cases of heart inflammation after Covid-19 vaccinations have been reported in young people, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday, prompting an investigation into whether the condition is being directly caused by the vaccine.
The agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices's meeting, originally scheduled for Friday, was moved to June 24 and June 25 in observance of the Juneteenth holiday weekend.
“This may be coincidental, a person may be predisposed to this, it may be as we see often in this vaccine that our own immune system starts reacting in an inflammatory way against our own muscles,” said Dr. Michael Welch, an allergist and immunologist at Rady Children’s Hospital, where eight boys have been admitted after suffering painful heart muscle inflammation after getting vaccinated.
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According to the county, 105,308 people age 12 to 17 have been vaccinated, meaning that the eight reported to experience heart symptoms represent 0.007 percent of all vaccine ecipients.
Still, the cases of either myocarditis or pericarditis, which involve inflammation of the heart or the surrounding tissue, are higher than what would be expected for this age group.
The shot from Pfizer-BioNTech is the only one authorized so far for children ages 12 through 17, though young adults 18 and older can receive either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson's vaccines.
The CDC has acknowledged “rare” but increased reports of myocarditis and pericarditis mostly in boys and young men after they received the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. The inflammation of the heart muscle or lining typically arises within a week, more often after the second of the two shots, with chest pain, shortness of breath and a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heartbeat.
Dr. Welch said one possible explanation for more males reporting symptoms could be as simple as more males being vaccinated than females and added that most cases are treated with anti-inflammatory medication, with patients being kept under observation for a few days.
A link between the symptoms and vaccine hasn’t been proven yet, but the CDC has said evidence is growing stronger.
Dr. Welch told NBC 7 the heart condition is commonly seen in patients recovering from viral infections, as pathogens, including enteroviruses and the bacteria that causes common staph and strep infections, are known to cause rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis.
“It could turn out to be just the, the enterovirus is the cause of this and it's totally unrelated to the mRNA vaccine,” he said.
He said a patient recovering from Covid-19 could experience the symptoms as well, which is why he says further investigation is necessary to prove whether vaccines are causing the condition.
“As long as there is no evidence in the near future of any ongoing problems with this population who are having the side effects of this, I think they're going to allow the vaccine to continue,” he said.
Despite the controversy, he says the benefits of the shot still outweigh risks.
“There's always a risk with anything you do,” he said. “We still have the AMA, the Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, our own county public health department is still recommending that kids, young teenagers and young adults still get this vaccine.”
The CDC’s committee upcoming meeting will be open to the public to view. The group will discuss the latest research and safety data on myocarditis following shots, but is not expected to make any changes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
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