COVID-19 Vaccines May Boost Myocarditis Cases, But Overall Effects Mild - US Cardiologist

Faizan Hashmi Published July 15, 2021 | 05:20 AM

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2021) The coronavirus vaccines may increase the number of cardiac issues in children, but the response is mild in the vast majority of cases, US surgeon Bill Novick told Sputnik.

"There is an increase in the number of cases of myocarditis in children following the second vaccination dose, but it has been mild in the vast majority of cases," Novick, who leads the William Novick Global Cardiac Alliance team of international pediatric surgeons, said.

The Alliance team conducts surgeries in numerous countries around the world where local doctors are unable to perform on complex cases. The team also provides training to local partners to improve their skills and the ability to operate without assistance.

Novick said myocarditis may or may not have any significant long-term consequences depending on its severity, he added.

"However, if you have a really serious case, then, yes, you can have significant heart issues in the future," he said.

Novick pointed out that the number of cases of myocarditis after administering the coronavirus is small and added that specialists have not had adequate time amid the pandemic to study the long-term consequences.

"It is a sort of emergency, and all of us, everybody who has gotten a vaccine, are in a kind of experiment," Novick said. "So, yes, there are going to be some side effects, but at this point of time it is not of a level that it is going to cause vaccine usage to be halted."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in early July that an elevated risk of myocarditis has been observed among mRNA coronavirus vaccine recipients, particularly males aged 12-29. However, the CDC concluded that the risk of mortality from COVID-19 exceeds the number of expected myocarditis complications.

The World Health Organization said last week that there was a "likely causal association" between coronavirus vaccine using mRNA technology and myocarditis, which had been reported in multiple countries, including the United States.