According to a recent study published by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, people infected with COVID-19 have a greater risk of myocarditis and other inflammatory heart conditions than those vaccinated against the disease.
The CDC found that myocarditis, pericarditis, and the multisystem inflammatory syndrome were higher after COVID infection than after the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination in children ages five and older. While these cardiac conditions are rare, they’re less likely to be diagnosed after infection and vaccination, CNBC reported.
According to the Mayo Clinic, myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). Pericarditis is caused when thin, sac-like tissue surrounding the heart muscle (pericardium) swells with irritation. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is a severe condition associated with COVID-19 that causes other bodily organs to become inflamed.
The federal agency stated that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had increased the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in teenage boys ages 12- to 17-years-old. However, myocarditis and pericarditis were higher after COVID infections than after vaccinations.
The rate of myocarditis and pericarditis among teenage boys accounted for at least 50 cases per 100,000 people after the infection. However, there were 22 cases per 100,000 people after the second dose. The general risk of heart conditions was 5.6 times higher after COVID infections than after the double vaccine dose. Additionally, the risk was 69 times higher after infection than the first shot.
The CDC examined electronic health records from more than 15 million people ages five and older across 40 healthcare systems from January 2021 to January 2022. In addition, researchers studied the risks of cardiac conditions after COVID infections and compared them to those diagnosed after the first or second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The vaccine booster shots were excluded from the study’s comparison.
In November, a French research team published a study that mentioned the possible health-related issues associated with the Moderna vaccine. News Onyx reported that the Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS), an advisory to the French health sector, said: “very rare” risks linked to myocarditis in those under 30-years-old.
“Within the population aged under 30, this risk appears to be around five times lesser with Pfizer’s Comirnaty jab compared to Moderna’s Spikevax jab,” HAS said of the study.
Overall, the risk for heart-related problems after COVID infection compared to vaccination varied on age, gender, and dose.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) stated that children are likely to be diagnosed with severe cases of myocarditis. However, certain forms of myocarditis, such as cardiac sarcoidosis, are more common among Black people than their white counterparts in the U.S.
