Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun;31(6):757-765.
doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2022.02.002. Epub 2022 Feb 25.

Myocarditis Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review (October 2020-October 2021)

Audry S Y Lee  1 , Iswaree D D/O Balakrishnan  2 , Chun Yuan Khoo  2 , Choon Ta Ng  2 , Julian K X Loh  2 , Laura L Chan  2 , Louis L Y Teo  2 , David K L Sim  2
Affiliations

Myocarditis Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review (October 2020-October 2021)

Audry S Y Lee et al. Heart Lung Circ. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Reports of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine-related myocarditis, particularly after mRNA vaccines, have raised concerns amongst the general public. This review examined the literature regarding myocarditis post COVID-19 vaccination, drawing from vaccine safety surveillance databases and case reports.

Methods: Combinations of search terms were used in PubMed and COVID-19-specific repositories - LitCovid and the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register - between 1 October 2020 and 31 October 2021. Manual searches of GoogleScholar and screening of article bibliographies were also performed.

Results: Information was obtained from five vaccine safety surveillance databases. Fifty-two (52) case reports totalling 200 cases of possible COVID-19 vaccine-related myocarditis were summarised. Vaccine surveillance databases differed in reporting formats and vaccination rates; however, gross estimates suggested low overall incidence rates of 2-5 per million mRNA vaccines. The incidence appeared to be higher in younger male populations, with onset of symptoms within a few days, usually after the second dose. Some with prior COVID-19 infections had onset after the first dose. Cases with prior unrelated myocarditis were also noted. Almost all presented with chest pain (98.0%). Troponin elevation was universally described and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was commonly reported based on the updated Lake Louise criteria. Clinical course was mild in the majority, with response to anti-inflammatory treatment.

Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine-related myocarditis is an important but rare adverse event. More research is needed into its pathogenesis and reasons for its predominance in young males, while gaps in data exist in those aged <16 years, as well as those with prior COVID-19 infections and prior myocarditis.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Myocarditis; mRNA vaccine.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Chen Q., Allot A., Lu Z. Keep up with the latest coronavirus research. Nature. 2020 - PubMed
    1. Chen Q., Allot A., Lu Z. LitCovid: An open database of COVID-19 literature. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Metzendorf M.I., Featherstone R.M. Evaluation of the comprehensiveness, accuracy and currency of the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register for supporting rapid evidence synthesis production. Res Synth Methods. 2021 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lindquist M. VigiBase, the WHO Global ICSR Database System: Basic facts. Drug Inf J. 2008
    1. Shimabukuro T.T., Nguyen M., Martin D., DeStefano F. Safety monitoring in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) Vaccine. 2015 - PMC - PubMed

Publication types