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Coronavirus


EVIDENCE GROWS STRONGER FOR COVID VACCINE LINK TO HEART ISSUE, CDC SAYS

The condition, called myocarditis, is usually mild, but a handful of patients
remain hospitalized.


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June 10, 2021, 3:57 PM EDT
By Erika Edwards

A higher-than-usual number of cases of a type of heart inflammation has been
reported following Covid-19 vaccination, especially among young men following
their second dose of an mRNA vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention said Thursday.

Overall, 226 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis after vaccination in people
younger than age 30 have been confirmed, Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, deputy director of
the CDC's Immunization Safety Office, said during a presentation to a Food and
Drug Administration advisory group. Further investigation is needed, however, to
confirm whether the vaccination was the cause of the heart problem.




Normally, fewer than 100 cases would be expected for this age group.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Teenagers and people in their early 20s accounted for more than half of the
myocarditis cases reported to the CDC's safety monitoring systems following
Covid-19 vaccination, despite representing a fraction of people who have
received the shots.

"We clearly have an imbalance there," Shimabukuro said.



The vast majority of the cases were sent home following a visit to a hospital as
of the end of May. It's unclear how many patients were admitted to the hospital,
or, for example, were discharged following a visit to the emergency room.
Fifteen patients remain hospitalized, with three in intensive care units. Two of
the patients in the ICU had other health problems.



The CDC had information on the recovery of patients in 220 cases; in more than
80 percent of these cases, patients got better on their own.

Following the presentation, Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of pediatric infectious
diseases at the Tufts Children's Hospital in Boston, said "it is hard to deny
that there's some event that seems to be occurring in terms of myocarditis."


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Myocarditis is condition that involves inflammation of the heart muscle.
Symptoms can include fever and fatigue, as well as shortness of breath and a
very specific type of chest pain. Patients tend to say their chest hurts more
when they lean forward. The pain tends to abate when they lean back.



When needed, treatment may involve anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen,
and in some cases, an intravenous medication called IVIG.


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Generally, children who have myocarditis will follow up with a cardiologist for
about six months to make sure there are no other significant problems. Most
cases are generally mild and go away on their own.

Vaccine safety experts are always on the lookout for a range of possible side
effects following any new vaccine. Despite the increased number of reported
myocarditis cases among young people, Shimabukuro said, no major red flags have
been identified.



Still, the higher-than-normal incidence is worthy of further scrutiny. The CDC
will hold a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June
18 to further look at the evidence and assess the risk of myocarditis following
vaccination.

Until definitive links are made, health officials overwhelmingly recommend
Covid-19 vaccinations for everyone ages 12 and older.

Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.


Erika Edwards

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and
"TODAY."



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