The news about a potential link between the COVID-19 vaccine and a cardiac ailment in young people may be striking fear in the hearts of some parents.But pediatric cardiologists have a message for these parents: COVID-19 should scare you more a whole lot more than the vaccine.And these doctors should know. They've treated young patients who've contracted this heart ailment after vaccination it's called myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle and they've also treated young patients who've had COVID-19.There simply is no comparison between the two, they say.Myocarditis sounds scary, but there are mild versions of it. In almost all cases among vaccinated young people (they were ages 16 to 24), the symptoms have gone away quickly. COVID-19, on the other hand, can be a long illness, or it can kill a young person it has already killed thousands of them.CNN spoke with pediatric cardiologists Dr. Kevin Hall at the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Stuart Berger at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who is also chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on cardiology and cardiac surgery, about the cases of myocarditis that have been spotted among young people after vaccination with the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.Both doctors, as well as the American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for young people.What causes myocarditis, and how often does it happen to young people?While myocarditis is relatively uncommon, it does happen to young people (and we mean long before the COVID-19 vaccine ever came along). Usually it's caused by a viral or bacterial infection. A different vaccine, one against smallpox, has previously been linked to myocarditis.There's a wide spectrum of myocarditis. Some people don't feel anything and they're fine without treatment. For others, myocarditis can be deadly.Berger estimates that at the emergency room where he works at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, they see approximately one child a week with the condition in the summer, when coxsackie and other viruses that cause myocarditis are in full bloom. Generally speaking, these young people are otherwise healthy.People from puberty through their early 30s are at higher risk for myocarditis, according to the Myocarditis Foundation. Males are affected twice as often as females.How many people in the US have developed myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination?As of May 31, nearly 170 million Americans had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through that time, fewer than 800 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart), have been reported after receiving the vaccine, according to the CDC, most of them after the second dose. And these are preliminary numbers they might be lower as further investigation could show that not all of these people actually had myocarditis or pericarditis.Are these numbers unusual?As mentioned, people get myocarditis and pericarditis inflammation of the lining around the heart even without the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC set out to determine if the numbers of post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis are higher than what you'd see without the COVID-19 vaccine.The answer was "yes" for people ages 16 to 24. The CDC found that among 16-and 17-year-olds, as of May 31, there were 79 reports of the illnesses soon after vaccination, and ordinarily, you'd expect to see around two to 19 cases in this group. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, there were 196 reported cases, and you'd expect to see between 8 and 83 cases. There were also reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in older age groups, but the numbers weren't higher than what you'd normally expect.Did the myocarditis in these vaccinated young people make them really sick?It sounds like an inflamed heart would, by definition, always be a huge deal, right? But it isn't."Many times, people have myocarditis and don't even know it. It goes away and they're fine," Berger said.In the vast majority of these post-vaccination cases, patients had a full recovery.Looking at 270 patients who were admitted and discharged from the hospital as of May 31, the CDC has found that 81% had full recovery of symptoms. The other 19% had ongoing symptoms or their recovery status was unknown.Hall, the pediatric cardiologist at Yale, said many of the post-vaccination myocarditis patients at his hospital didn't feel very sick, but they were admitted so doctors could do more testing and out of an abundance of caution."Some of these young men and boys were rather upset that they had to stay in the hospital," Hall said.What kinds of symptoms did these young people have?Hall is co-author of a study published last week looking at seven cases of myocarditis among adolescents after vaccination.They all had chest pain, and some of them also had fevers or felt weak or tired.Their symptoms began between two and four days after the second dose of the vaccine. They spent two to six days in the hospital. For all seven patients, their symptoms resolved rapidly with medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and steroids.All seven of the cases were males. In the CDC report, most of the cases were males.How do young people do when they get COVID-19?This gets to the heart of the issue. When young people developed myocarditis following vaccination, the numbers were small, and they weren't very sick.While most young people who develop COVID-19 are fine, some do develop complications and even die from the infection.As of June 9, 2,637 people under age 30 have had deaths that involved COVID-19, according to theCDC.As of June 5, preliminarydata shows 3,110 people under the age of 18 have been hospitalized, a number the CDC says is likely an underestimate.Berger and Hall have each taken care of dozens of COVID-19 patients."Some of them spent weeks in the intensive care unit. They had poor heart function. They had acute infections that were completely preventable by the vaccine," Berger said.Even if they recovered, some have had long-term illnesses."We do remain concerned about these children in the long term," Hall said. "We have seen some with persistent changes in their cardiac testing. This is a very serious disease."
The news about a potential link between the COVID-19 vaccine and a cardiac ailment in young people may be striking fear in the hearts of some parents.
But pediatric cardiologists have a message for these parents: COVID-19 should scare you more a whole lot more than the vaccine.
And these doctors should know. They've treated young patients who've contracted this heart ailment after vaccination it's called myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle and they've also treated young patients who've had COVID-19.
There simply is no comparison between the two, they say.
Myocarditis sounds scary, but there are mild versions of it. In almost all cases among vaccinated young people (they were ages 16 to 24), the symptoms have gone away quickly. COVID-19, on the other hand, can be a long illness, or it can kill a young person it has already killed thousands of them.
CNN spoke with pediatric cardiologists Dr. Kevin Hall at the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Stuart Berger at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who is also chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on cardiology and cardiac surgery, about the cases of myocarditis that have been spotted among young people after vaccination with the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.
Both doctors, as well as the American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for young people.
While myocarditis is relatively uncommon, it does happen to young people (and we mean long before the COVID-19 vaccine ever came along). Usually it's caused by a viral or bacterial infection. A different vaccine, one against smallpox, has previously been linked to myocarditis.
There's a wide spectrum of myocarditis. Some people don't feel anything and they're fine without treatment. For others, myocarditis can be deadly.
Berger estimates that at the emergency room where he works at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, they see approximately one child a week with the condition in the summer, when coxsackie and other viruses that cause myocarditis are in full bloom. Generally speaking, these young people are otherwise healthy.
People from puberty through their early 30s are at higher risk for myocarditis, according to the Myocarditis Foundation. Males are affected twice as often as females.
As of May 31, nearly 170 million Americans had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through that time, fewer than 800 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart), have been reported after receiving the vaccine, according to the CDC, most of them after the second dose. And these are preliminary numbers they might be lower as further investigation could show that not all of these people actually had myocarditis or pericarditis.
As mentioned, people get myocarditis and pericarditis inflammation of the lining around the heart even without the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC set out to determine if the numbers of post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis are higher than what you'd see without the COVID-19 vaccine.
The answer was "yes" for people ages 16 to 24. The CDC found that among 16-and 17-year-olds, as of May 31, there were 79 reports of the illnesses soon after vaccination, and ordinarily, you'd expect to see around two to 19 cases in this group. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, there were 196 reported cases, and you'd expect to see between 8 and 83 cases. There were also reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in older age groups, but the numbers weren't higher than what you'd normally expect.
It sounds like an inflamed heart would, by definition, always be a huge deal, right? But it isn't.
"Many times, people have myocarditis and don't even know it. It goes away and they're fine," Berger said.
In the vast majority of these post-vaccination cases, patients had a full recovery.
Looking at 270 patients who were admitted and discharged from the hospital as of May 31, the CDC has found that 81% had full recovery of symptoms. The other 19% had ongoing symptoms or their recovery status was unknown.
Hall, the pediatric cardiologist at Yale, said many of the post-vaccination myocarditis patients at his hospital didn't feel very sick, but they were admitted so doctors could do more testing and out of an abundance of caution.
"Some of these young men and boys were rather upset that they had to stay in the hospital," Hall said.
Hall is co-author of a study published last week looking at seven cases of myocarditis among adolescents after vaccination.
They all had chest pain, and some of them also had fevers or felt weak or tired.
Their symptoms began between two and four days after the second dose of the vaccine. They spent two to six days in the hospital. For all seven patients, their symptoms resolved rapidly with medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and steroids.
All seven of the cases were males. In the CDC report, most of the cases were males.
This gets to the heart of the issue. When young people developed myocarditis following vaccination, the numbers were small, and they weren't very sick.
While most young people who develop COVID-19 are fine, some do develop complications and even die from the infection.
As of June 9, 2,637 people under age 30 have had deaths that involved COVID-19, according to theCDC.As of June 5, preliminarydata shows 3,110 people under the age of 18 have been hospitalized, a number the CDC says is likely an underestimate.
Berger and Hall have each taken care of dozens of COVID-19 patients.
"Some of them spent weeks in the intensive care unit. They had poor heart function. They had acute infections that were completely preventable by the vaccine," Berger said.
Even if they recovered, some have had long-term illnesses.
"We do remain concerned about these children in the long term," Hall said. "We have seen some with persistent changes in their cardiac testing. This is a very serious disease."
Read more from the original source:
What is myocarditis? Is it safe for teens to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Pediatric cardiologists explain - WCVB Boston
- Pediatric Cardiology - Pediatrics - University of Rochester Medical Center - April 10th, 2018 [April 10th, 2018]
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology UT Southwestern, Dallas ... - May 7th, 2018 [May 7th, 2018]
- Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology - Massachusetts ... - May 14th, 2018 [May 14th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology Services | Miami | South Florida - June 11th, 2018 [June 11th, 2018]
- RWJMG | Division of Pediatric Cardiology - July 2nd, 2018 [July 2nd, 2018]
- Locations and Directions | Pediatric Cardiology Consultants - July 5th, 2018 [July 5th, 2018]
- Heart Center | MUSC Children's Health | Charleston, SC - July 15th, 2018 [July 15th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiologist: Job Description & Career Requirements - July 30th, 2018 [July 30th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology Associates | MEDNAX - August 6th, 2018 [August 6th, 2018]
- Cardiology - Wikipedia - October 15th, 2018 [October 15th, 2018]
- UnityPoint Clinic Pediatric Cardiolgy - November 5th, 2018 [November 5th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology - Pediatrics - University of ... - November 7th, 2018 [November 7th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology | Weill Cornell Medicine - November 7th, 2018 [November 7th, 2018]
- Cardiology | Department of Pediatrics | Columbia ... - November 7th, 2018 [November 7th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology - UofL Physicians - November 18th, 2018 [November 18th, 2018]
- PCA - Pediatric Cardiology Associates - November 30th, 2018 [November 30th, 2018]
- Capital District Pediatric Cardiology Associates - December 9th, 2018 [December 9th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery (Heart Center) - December 23rd, 2018 [December 23rd, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology | Child Cardiology in Louisville ... - December 25th, 2018 [December 25th, 2018]
- Pediatric Cardiology - GHS Childrens - January 28th, 2019 [January 28th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology in New Jersey | Pediatric Heart ... - February 26th, 2019 [February 26th, 2019]
- Overview - Pediatric Cardiology - Mayo Clinic - March 10th, 2019 [March 10th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology | MUSC | Charleston, SC - March 13th, 2019 [March 13th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship | Pediatrics at Vanderbilt - March 14th, 2019 [March 14th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology Conferences 2020 | Pediatric Congress ... - March 27th, 2019 [March 27th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology - childrensaterlanger.org - April 4th, 2019 [April 4th, 2019]
- Cardiology | Department of Pediatrics - April 4th, 2019 [April 4th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology - All Volumes & Issues - Springer - April 4th, 2019 [April 4th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology NJ | Pediatric Cardiology New Jersey - April 27th, 2019 [April 27th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology Certification | The American Board of ... - May 12th, 2019 [May 12th, 2019]
- Pediatric Cardiology Center of Oregon - May 12th, 2019 [May 12th, 2019]
- Confirm Rx ICM allies with SharpSense technology and syncs to a smartphone for a superior performance - Cardiac Rhythm News - September 30th, 2019 [September 30th, 2019]
- LI 'garbage man' does 'heart surgery on the side' - Newsday - September 30th, 2019 [September 30th, 2019]
- Five Atlantic Health System Team Members Lauded by NJAHA - Patch.com - September 30th, 2019 [September 30th, 2019]
- Doctors of Distinction: Saluting Westchester's top physicians - Westfair Online - September 30th, 2019 [September 30th, 2019]
- Biology at the Speed of Life - Technology Networks - September 30th, 2019 [September 30th, 2019]
- New Study Discovers the Three-Dimensional Structure of the Genome Replication Machine - Newswise - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Universal Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices Market Forecast 2019 Catheters, Guidewires, Balloons, Balloon inflation devices, Stents - The... - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices Market Growing Demand and Supply 2019 to 2025 - Weekly Spy - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- On The Move - Times Union - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Pediatric Medical Devices Market Opportunity will Rise to US$ 41000 Mn by 2026 - Space Market Research - October 7th, 2019 [October 7th, 2019]
- Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market: Industry Development Scenario and Forecast to 2025 - Space Market Research - October 7th, 2019 [October 7th, 2019]
- Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market - Segmented By Type, Application, Technology and Geography - Growth, Trends & Forecast (2019 -... - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Want To Know What Equipment Your Pediatricians Use? Here It Is - Healthcare Tech Outlook - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Israeli organisation to set up cardiology centre in Rwanda - The New Times - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market Industry Analysis and Forecast (2018-2026) - Weekly Spy - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Media Fall Prey to Researcher Warnings on Men's Drinking Before Conception - NewsBusters - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Cleveland Clinics annual Medical Innovation Summit to focus on caring for every life - cleveland.com - October 18th, 2019 [October 18th, 2019]
- Children's hospital to open 4-story addition in November - Newsday - October 18th, 2019 [October 18th, 2019]
- Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Announces Arkansas Children's Hospital as Their 28th Certified Duchenne Care Center - P&T Community - October 18th, 2019 [October 18th, 2019]
- Top heart surgeon returns to All Childrens, 3 years after being pushed out - Tampa Bay Times - October 18th, 2019 [October 18th, 2019]
- Innovative research on Pediatrics Healthcare Market Outlook to 2019 -2026 Top Companies including GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck,... - November 1st, 2019 [November 1st, 2019]
- MEDNAX Expands Presence in Florida through Affiliation with Leading Pediatric Plastic Surgery Practice - Business Wire - November 1st, 2019 [November 1st, 2019]
- Apple hires another prominent cardiologist as it makes heart health a big area of focus - CNBC - November 1st, 2019 [November 1st, 2019]
- Ovid Therapeutics Announces Senior Management Promotions in Preparation for Multiple Data Readouts Expected in 2020 - GlobeNewswire - November 1st, 2019 [November 1st, 2019]
- First Large-Scale Registry to Evaluate Real-World Lipid Management and Effectiveness of PCSK9 Inhibitors Announced - Cath Lab Digest - November 15th, 2019 [November 15th, 2019]
- Ramesh Hospitals Vijayawada sets Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of cardiac surgery patients at one place - Yahoo India News - November 15th, 2019 [November 15th, 2019]
- Market Live: Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices Market Can Deliver up to High CAGR over the next Few Years - Justnewsindustry - November 21st, 2019 [November 21st, 2019]
- You've got to have heart: Inside UNC Health Care's fight to save a baby with rare transplant - WRAL Tech Wire - November 21st, 2019 [November 21st, 2019]
- Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices Market to Record Ascending Growth by 2015 2021 - Downey Magazine - December 3rd, 2019 [December 3rd, 2019]
- Northwest Medical Center Gets Dedicated State-of-the-Art Pediatric ER - Coral Springs Talk - December 3rd, 2019 [December 3rd, 2019]
- New research reveals how antiretroviral drugs may damage the hearts of infants exposed to HIV but uninfected - UB News Center - December 3rd, 2019 [December 3rd, 2019]
- FAQ: An Update on the St. Christopher's Hospital Acquisition - DrexelNow - Drexel Now - December 16th, 2019 [December 16th, 2019]
- Which Of The Top AI Events Is Best Suited For Your Profession? - Forbes - December 16th, 2019 [December 16th, 2019]
- Physician specialties with the highest salaries and the biggest pay increases in 2019 - FierceHealthcare - December 16th, 2019 [December 16th, 2019]
- State-by-state breakdown of the 183 new ASCs opened or announced in 2019 - Becker's ASC Review - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- The news that impacted our communities in 2019 | New Today - Uniontown Herald Standard - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- Father and son both healthy after heart defects at birth - KFSN-TV - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- YOUR HEALTH: He got his dads heart. That wasnt necessarily a good thing - WQAD Moline - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- MEDNAX (NYSE:MD) Rating Lowered to Neutral at Citigroup - Riverton Roll - January 3rd, 2020 [January 3rd, 2020]
- MEDNAX (NYSE:MD) Downgraded to Neutral at Citigroup - Riverton Roll - January 10th, 2020 [January 10th, 2020]
- January Is Thyroid Awareness Month - Newswise - January 10th, 2020 [January 10th, 2020]
- The new year rings in 110 new Drexel Med employees - Drexel University The Triangle Online - January 10th, 2020 [January 10th, 2020]
- Could 2020 be the year of women in cardiology? - Cardiovascular Business - January 10th, 2020 [January 10th, 2020]
- New product developments and trends of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market during 2019-2025 - Fusion Science Academy - January 18th, 2020 [January 18th, 2020]
- MEDNAX (NYSE:MD) Lowered to Neutral at Citigroup - Riverton Roll - January 18th, 2020 [January 18th, 2020]
- Major Heart Organizations Now Led by Women - Medscape - January 18th, 2020 [January 18th, 2020]
- Cleveland Clinic Names New Chair of Hillcrest Hospitals Board of Trustees - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic - January 18th, 2020 [January 18th, 2020]
- MEDNAX Inc to Post Q4 2019 Earnings of $0.85 Per Share, Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts (NYSE:MD) - Riverton Roll - February 1st, 2020 [February 1st, 2020]
- Lower Stress, Stay Optimistic, and Avoid Heart Attacks- Mount Sinai Health System - Yahoo Finance - February 1st, 2020 [February 1st, 2020]