Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Study finds mild short-term impact from myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination

The authors acknowledge that more data are needed to provide clear recommendations. 

By Brian Buntz | August 9, 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine COVID-19 vaccination

Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando.

Despite the rare risk of myocarditis in children, the benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine likely outweigh the risks, according to a recent JAMA Cardiology report.

A separate pre-print study found that adolescents’ risk of contracting myocarditis is substantially higher after contracting COVID-19 than from receiving mRNA vaccines targeting the novel coronavirus. An earlier JAMA Cardiology article reached similar conclusions, reporting that “as many 1% of highly fit athletes with mild COVID-19 infection have evidence of myocarditis on [cardiac] MRI.”

A separate study in Circulation estimated that between 12–20% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients develop myocarditis. 

The recent JAMA report did, however, suggest that the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine is more likely to lead to myocarditis than the first dose in individuals aged 12 to 17. 

Drawing on 15 cases of myocarditis requiring hospitalization, the study found that the condition developed within one to five days after receipt of the BNT162b2 vaccine. All but one of the patients were male. Additionally, all of the patients had elevated cardiac troponins, which are a marker of myocardial injury. While patients’ levels of troponins decreased, they remained elevated. 

All of the patients but one had a normal echocardiogram on follow-up ranging from one to 13 days after discharge. None of the patients required intensive care unit care. 

The report authors, however, note that it is unclear whether post-vaccination myocarditis will be associated with long-term sequelae. Therefore, they conclude that more studies will be required.

A Pfizer spokesperson notes that the company is “aware of rare reports of myocarditis and pericarditis, predominantly in male adolescents and young adults, after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.” Noting that CDC considers the side effect to be “extremely rare,” the spokesperson said “only an exceedingly small number of people will experience it after vaccination.”

“Patients have typically rapidly improved with conservative treatment,” the Pfizer spokesperson added. “It is important to note that CDC continues to strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for eligible individuals aged 12 and older. With hundreds of millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered globally, the benefit risk profile of our vaccine remains positive.”

Given the potential for heart inflammation, FDA has asked Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to expand the number of patients enrolled in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials for school-aged children.  

FDA has also added a warning of myocarditis to the label for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. 


Filed Under: Cardiovascular, Infectious Disease
Tagged With: BioNTech, coronavirus, covid-19, COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine trial, COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

Related Articles Read More >

Secretary of Health removes all current members of the CDC advisory committee on immunization practices
covid-19 vaccine
FDA COVID booster pullback jolts vaccine stocks before gains cool
Coronavirus Covid-19 background - 3d rendering
Pregnancy associated with less long COVID: Researchers call for studies on protective biology
How technology advances are helping scientists unlock the mysteries of zoonotic diseases
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE