COVID-19 Vaccination: Cardiac Complications After Infection Vs. Shot, According To CDC

In a study published Friday, the Centers for Disease Control compared the risks of cardiovascular complications from COVID-19 infection and vaccination.

“Cardiac complications were rare after SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA COVID-19 vaccination,” authors of the study stated, clarifying that the risks were higher after infection compared to vaccination. “These findings support continued use of recommended mRNA COVID-19 vaccines among all eligible persons.”

Dr. Gerard Boyle of the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital further supports the findings of this study, saying that "the number of patients that have come in with post-infection myocarditis has been much more numerous than the patients that have come in with post-vaccination myocarditis — without question," as reported by NBC News. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle.

As rare reports of myocarditis surfaced following the receipt of COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed the potential implications of both Pfizer and Moderna’s two-dose mRNA vaccines. It found that while the risks with both are much smaller than the benefits they provide, Moderna's shot is more likely to cause heart inflammation. Young men, including teenagers, had the highest chances of developing myocarditis after receiving the second dose.

The national public health agency still emphasized that the benefits of both mRNA vaccines outweigh the risks. Furthermore, a CDC survey deduced that most people who suffered from myocarditis following vaccination seamlessly regained their health.