You have better odds of being struck by lightning than getting myocarditis after a COVID-19 vaccine

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If it feels like we have been talking — and worrying — about myocarditis since the pandemic began, we have. But it’s not a new thing. Before COVID-19, myocarditis affected about one and 10 people per 100,000 each year in the United States, most of those being active, healthy males 18 to 30 years old, according to Beaumont Health.

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Since March 2020, however, the beginning of COVID-19, this number has shot up to 146 cases out of every 100,000, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And this time, those most at risk are men, older adults over the age of 50, and kids aged 16 and under. Still, despite the numbers linking infection to rising numbers of people experiencing heart complications, experts call myocarditis caused by COVID infection “uncommon,” while at the same time noting that the heart condition is being seen more often in patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 — affecting 226 people in every 100,000.

Cases of myocarditis have also been linked to COVID-19 vaccines, although rare, and with mild symptoms, Dr. Jerome Fleg, a program officer with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) told the National Institutes of Health.

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“Most people recover fully with rest and a few days of supportive treatment while being monitored in a hospital,” he said, adding that all vaccines cause side effects, noting that myocarditis has also been linked to the flu, smallpox, and shingles vaccines.

What is myocarditis?

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect the organ’s electrical system and impact its ability to pump blood properly or maintain a normal rhythm, according to the Mayo Clinic.

What are the symptoms of myocarditis?

In the early stages, or with mild cases of the condition, people with myocarditis may experience no symptoms at all or only slight chest pain or shortness of breath. If the condition is more serious, symptoms can vary but generally include chest pain, fatigue, a rapid or abnormal heart beat (arrhythmia), shortness of breath (even at rest) and fluid retention that can cause swelling in the lower extremities and fatigue. Children with myocarditis can experience fever, fainting, trouble breathing or arrhythmia.

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Don’t let the risk of myocarditis be a reason to skip the vaccine

“The benefits of getting vaccinated markedly outweigh the very small risk of vaccine-related myocarditis,” said Fleg. “Vaccination prevents most hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. It’s clear that vaccination can protect you from myocarditis by protecting you from COVID-19 infection.”

He also urges people to remember that even if they were to be one of the few affected by vaccine-linked myocarditis, the symptoms are largely mild, and usually disappear in a few days. In fact, he says that only about one out of 100 cases of heart inflammation linked to COVID-19 vaccines is life-threatening: “An analysis of 627 cases of vaccine-linked myocarditis worldwide showed that 626 fully recovered — and one fatality.”

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Compare this risk to the impact of COVID-19 infection on the heart, which Fleg said, can cause lingering effects on the heart, damage and even death. A study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations Quality and Outcomes Journal found about 15 per cent of 400 patients with myocarditis that was connected to COVID-19 died within six months.

Your perception of risk

Still having trouble weighing the risk of a COVID vaccine ? Here’s how the National Institutes of Health looks at it: Your chance of being struck by lightning? Seven in 100,000. The chances of developing myocarditis after an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine? Two in 100,000. The odds of having myocarditis if hospitalized with COVID-19, and risking serious heart damage and possibly death? 226 in 100,000.

Made your decision yet?

Lisa Machado is the executive producer of Healthing.ca.