Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents and adults: a cumulative experience of 2021

The impact of COVID-19 status and vaccine type following the first dose on acute heart disease: A nationwide retrospective cohort study in South Korea

Recent studies have suggested an increased incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA vaccination or COVID-19. However, the potential interaction effect between vaccine type and COVID-19 on heart disease risk remains uncertain. Our study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 status and vaccine type following the first dose on acute heart disease in the Korean population, using data from the National Health Insurance Service COVID-19 database (October 2018-March 2022). We sought to provide insights for public health policies and clinical decisions pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination strategies. We analysed heart disease risk, including acute cardiac injury, acute myocarditis, acute pericarditis, cardiac arrest, and cardiac arrhythmia, in relation to vaccine type and COVID-19 within 21 days after the first vaccination date, employing Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates. This study included 3,350,855 participants. The results revealed higher heart disease risk in individuals receiving mRNA vaccines than other types (adjusted HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.35-1.62). Individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 also exhibited significantly higher heart disease risk than those uninfected (adjusted HR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.15-11.04). We found no significant interaction effect between vaccine type and COVID-19 status on the risk of acute heart disease. Notably, however, younger individuals who received mRNA vaccines had a higher heart disease risk compared to older individuals. These results may suggest the need to consider alternative vaccine options for the younger population. Further research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms and guide vaccination strategies effectively.

Fatal Myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA Immunization: A Case Report and Differential Diagnosis Review

Carditis in childhood is a rare disease with several etiologies. We report a case of infant death due to pericarditis and myocarditis after the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 (COVIDmRNAV). A 7-year-old male child received the first dose of the COVIDmRNAV and presented with monoarthritis and a fever non-responsive to oral antibiotics. The laboratory investigation showed signs of infection (leukocytosis, high levels of c-reactive protein). His condition rapidly deteriorated, and the patient died. The autopsy identified pericardial fibrin deposits, hemorrhagic areas in the myocardium, and normal valves. A diffuse intermyocardial inflammatory infiltrate composed of T CD8+ lymphocytes and histiocytes was identified. An antistreptolysin O (ASO) dosage showed high titers. The presence of arthritis, elevated ASO, and carditis fulfills the criteria for rheumatic fever. However, valve disease and Aschoff's nodules, present in 90% of rheumatic carditis cases, were absent in this case. The temporal correlation with mRNA vaccination prompted its inclusion as one of the etiologies. In cases of myocardial damage related to COVID-19mRNAV, it appears to be related to the expression of exosomes and lipid nanoparticles, leading to a cytokine storm. The potential effects of the COVID-19mRNAV must be considered in the pathogenesis of this disease, whether as an etiology or a contributing factor to a previously initiated myocardial injury.

Emergency department presentations for chest complaints after mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To investigate characteristics and management of children presenting with chest complaints to a tertiary paediatric ED post-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

METHODS

This was a retrospective medical record review with data linkage to the Australian Immunisation Register. The study setting was the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Children <18 years who had a troponin blood test performed in hospital within 14 days of receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccination were included. Elevated troponin and myocarditis or pericarditis as per Brighton criteria was the primary outcome. Vaccination status, length of stay, investigations and clinical management were secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Six hundred and ten patients had a troponin test in 13 months. After exclusion of trauma-related tests (n = 31), known cardiac patients (n = 75) and others (n = 145), 359 troponins were obtained due to chest complaints and related symptoms, with 283 troponins assessed to be mRNA vaccination-related. There was a temporal peak in presentations with a 30-fold monthly increase in troponin post-commencement of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. In those with chest complaints following mRNA vaccination, mean age was 14 years and 50.4% were female. Fourteen out of 283 (5%) vaccine-related troponins were abnormal with 14 patients assessed to have vaccine-associated myocarditis. No patients had pericarditis.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a large number of possible mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-related chest complaints presenting to the ED. Few patients had abnormal troponins or myocarditis.

Post-COVID-19 Vaccination Myocarditis: A Histopathologic Study on a Monocentric Series of Six Cases

Many reports on the development of myocarditis following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination (PCVM) have emerged. However, only a few case studies have investigated endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) results. This study describes the clinicopathologic features of PCVM. We surveyed all hospitalized patients in a single university hospital in Korea and identified six cases of PCVM. All six patients underwent EMB, five of whom were men aged 15-85 years. All patients developed cardiac dysfunction. Among these patients, two had mild disease without sequelae, whereas the other four had dilated cardiomyopathy with depressed cardiac function. All six cases demonstrated lymphohistiocytic myocarditis. Two of our cases fulfilled the criterion of CD3+ T lymphocytes > 7 cells/mm2 (Case nos. 3 and 6), while the remaining four cases did not fulfill the Dallas criteria. In conclusion, most PCVM cases showed mild degree inflammation histopathologically, and some cases could not fulfill the Dallas criteria and were classified as borderline myocarditis.

Lessons Learnt from Case Series of Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest and Unexpected Death after COVID-19 Vaccination

Vaccination against COVID-19 has raised concerns about myocarditis in young men, as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or sudden death after vaccination has been reported sporadically. Common features of these cases are occurrence in young men, within a few weeks after vaccination, in patients with no structural heart diseases. Cases of unexplained nocturnal death showed fibrotic or hypertrophied myocardium, and one case of OHCA presented ventricular fibrillation (VF) triggered by a prominent J wave on an automated external defibrillator and histopathologic findings compatible with myocarditis. Both myocarditis and J waves are prevalent in young men, and these cases imply that myocarditis augments J waves, which trigger VFs, and primary electrical disorders are a leading cause of death. To prevent such issues, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted interpretation of historical electrocardiogram findings may help predict future J wave formation leading to VF, as digital electrocardiogram (ECG) findings are well suited for AI interpretation.

BNT162b2 immunization-related myocarditis in adolescents and consequent hospitalization: Report from a medical center

BACKGROUND

To investigate Pfizer-BioNTech 162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) immunization-related myocarditis and describe the risk factors for consequent hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in children between 12 and 18 years.

METHODS

Children and adolescents 12 years of age and older who presented with discomfort after BNT162b2 immunization (BNTI) and visited pediatric emergency room (PER) at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from September 22, 2021 to March 21, 2022, were included for analysis.

RESULTS

681 children presented with discomfort after BNTI and visited our PER. The mean age was 15.1 ± 1.7 years. Three hundred and ninety-four (57.9%) and 287 (42.1%) events were after 1st and 2nd dose, respectively. 58.4% (n = 398) were male. The most common complaints were chest pain (46.7%) and chest tightness (27.0%). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) interval of discomfort after BNTI was 3.0 (1.0-12.0) days. BNTI-related pericarditis, myocarditis and myopericarditis were diagnosed in 15 (2.2%), 12 (1.8%) and 2 (0.3%) patients, respectively. Eleven (1.6%) needed hospitalization in PICU. The median (IQR) hospital stay was 4.0 (3.0-6.0) days. There was no mortality. More patients were diagnosed myocarditis (p = 0.004) after 2nd dose BNTI. PICU admission occurred more commonly after 2nd dose BNTI (p = 0.007). Risk factors associated with hospitalization in PICU were abnormal EKG findings (p = 0.047) and abnormal serum troponin levels (p = 0.003) at PER.

CONCLUSION

Myocarditis in children aged 12-18 years occurred more commonly following 2nd dose BNTI. Most cases were of mild or intermediate severity without death. Factors predicting BNTI-related myocarditis and consequent hospitalization in PICU were abnormal EKG findings and abnormal serum troponin levels at PER in this study.

Myocarditis: Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Their Implications in Clinical Practice

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium caused by infectious or non-infectious agents. It can lead to serious short-term and long-term sequalae, such as sudden cardiac death or dilated cardiomyopathy. Due to its heterogenous clinical presentation and disease course, challenging diagnosis and limited evidence for prognostic stratification, myocarditis poses a great challenge to clinicians. As it stands, the pathogenesis and etiology of myocarditis is only partially understood. Moreover, the impact of certain clinical features on risk assessment, patient outcomes and treatment options is not entirely clear. Such data, however, are essential in order to personalize patient care and implement novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss the possible etiologies of myocarditis, outline the key processes governing its pathogenesis and summarize best available evidence regarding patient outcomes and state-of-the-art therapeutic approaches.

Imaging for Cardiovascular Complications of COVID-19: Cardiac Manifestations in Context

After the first confirmed case in 2019, COVID-19 rapidly spread worldwide and overwhelmed the medical community. In the intervening time, we have learned about COVID-19's clinical manifestations and have developed effective therapies and preventative vaccines. Severe COVID-19 infection is associated with many cardiovascular disorders in the acute phase, and patients recovered from illness can also manifest long-term sequelae, including long COVID syndrome. Furthermore, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination can trigger rare cases of myopericarditis. We have gained significant knowledge of the acute and long-term cardiovascular complications of COVID-19- and mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis through clinical and investigative studies using cardiac imaging. In this review, we describe how cardiovascular imaging can be used to understand the cardiovascular complications and cardiac injury associated with acute COVID-19 infection, review the imaging findings in patients recovered from illness, and discuss the role and limitations of cardiac imaging in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis.

Vaccination-Associated Myocarditis and Myocardial Injury

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated myocarditis/myocardial injury should be evaluated in the contexts of COVID-19 infection, other types of viral myocarditis, and other vaccine-associated cardiac disorders. COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocardial injury can be caused by an inflammatory immune cell infiltrate, but other etiologies such as microvascular thrombosis are also possible. The clinical diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Endomyocardial biopsy is confirmatory for myocarditis, but may not show an inflammatory infiltrate because of rapid resolution or a non-inflammatory etiology. Myocarditis associated with SARS-COVID-19 vaccines occurs primarily with mRNA platform vaccines, which are also the most effective. In persons aged >16 or >12 years the myocarditis estimated crude incidences after the first 2 doses of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 are approximately 1.9 and 3.5 per 100 000 individuals, respectively. These rates equate to excess incidences above control populations of approximately 1.2 (BNT162b2) and 1.9 (mRNA-1273) per 100 000 persons, which are lower than the myocarditis rate for smallpox but higher than that for influenza vaccines. In the studies that have included mRNA vaccine and SARS-COVID-19 myocarditis measured by the same methodology, the incidence rate was increased by 3.5-fold over control in COVID-19 compared with 1.5-fold for BNT162b2 and 6.2-fold for mRNA-1273. However, mortality and major morbidity are less and recovery is faster with mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis compared to COVID-19 infection. The reasons for this include vaccine-associated myocarditis having a higher incidence in young adults and adolescents, typically no involvement of other organs in vaccine-associated myocarditis, and based on comparisons to non-COVID viral myocarditis an inherently more benign clinical course.

COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS, "long COVID") and post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PCVS, "post-COVIDvac-syndrome"): Similarities and differences

Worldwide there have been over 760 million confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, and over 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered as of April 2023, according to the World Health Organization. An infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can lead to an acute disease, i.e. COVID-19, but also to a post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS, "long COVID"). Currently, the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are increasingly being noted and studied. Here, we summarise the currently available indications and discuss our conclusions that (i) these side effects have specific similarities and differences to acute COVID-19 and PACS, that (ii) a new term should be used to refer to these side effects (post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome, PCVS, colloquially "post-COVIDvac-syndrome"), and that (iii) there is a need to distinguish between acute COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (ACVS) and post-acute COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PACVS) - in analogy to acute COVID-19 and PACS ("long COVID"). Moreover, we address mixed forms of disease caused by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination. We explain why it is important for medical diagnosis, care and research to use the new terms (PCVS, ACVS and PACVS) in order to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of the underlying causes of disease and to enable optimal medical therapy. We do not recommend to use the term "Post-Vac-Syndrome" as it is imprecise. The article also serves to address the current problem of "medical gaslighting" in relation to PACS and PCVS by raising awareness among the medical professionals and supplying appropriate terminology for disease.

The incidence and clinical characteristics of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in Republic of Korea adolescents from July 2021 to September 2022

OBJECTIVES

Age-specific information regarding myocarditis/pericarditis in adolescents following mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in Asia remains insufficient. This study investigated the incidence and clinical characteristics of myocarditis/pericarditis in Republic of Korea adolescents after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination.

METHODS

This retrospective descriptive study utilized patient data from the Korea Immunization Management System. Incidence rates were calculated according to age and sex. Clinical characteristics (symptoms/signs, laboratory values, and imaging results) were compared between mild and severe cases.

RESULTS

Between July 19, 2021 and September 30, 2022, 3,728,224 individuals aged 12 to 19 years received 6,484,165 mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, and 173 cases met the case definition for myocarditis/pericarditis: 151 mild (87.3%) and 22 severe (12.7%). The incidence was 3.8-fold higher in males than in females. Troponin I/ troponin T was elevated in 96% of myocarditis cases, demonstrating higher sensitivity than creatine kinase-myocardial band (67.6%) or C-reactive protein (75.2%). ST-segment or Twave on electrography abnormalities were found in 60.3% (85/141). Paroxysmal/sustained atrial/ventricular arrhythmias were more common in severe than in mild cases (45.5% vs. 16.8%, p=0.008). Edema on T2-weighted magnetic imaging occurred in 21.6% (8/37) and 62.5% (5/8) of mild and severe cases, respectively (p=0.03). Abnormal pericardial fluid collection or pericardial inflammation was found in 75.4% of pericarditis cases (49/65).

CONCLUSION

Myocarditis/pericarditis occurred in rare cases following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination. Most cases were mild, but the incidence was higher in adolescent males and after the second dose. As bivalent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 mRNA vaccination started in Republic of Korea in October 2022, the post-vaccination incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis should be closely monitored, considering clinical characteristics.

Short term outcome of myocarditis and pericarditis following COVID-19 vaccines: a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study

To evaluate clinical and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) short-term follow-up (FU) in patients with vaccine-associated myocarditis, pericarditis or myo-pericarditis (VAMP) following COVID-19 vaccination. We retrospectively analyzed 44 patients (2 women, mean age: 31.7 ± 15.1 years) with clinical and CMR manifestations of VAMP, recruited from 13 large tertiary national centers. Inclusion criteria were troponin raise, interval between the last vaccination dose and onset of symptoms < 25 days and symptoms-to-CMR < 20 days. 29/44 patients underwent a short-term FU-CMR with a median time of 3.3 months. Ventricular volumes and CMR findings of cardiac injury were collected in all exams. Mean interval between the last vaccination dose and the onset of symptoms was 6.2 ± 5.6 days. 30/44 patients received a vaccination with Comirnaty, 12/44 with Spikevax, 1/44 with Vaxzevria and 1/44 with Janssen (18 after the first dose of vaccine, 20 after the second and 6 after the "booster" dose). Chest pain was the most frequent symptom (41/44), followed by fever (29/44), myalgia (17/44), dyspnea (13/44) and palpitations (11/44). At baseline, left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) was reduced in 7 patients; wall motion abnormalities have been detected in 10. Myocardial edema was found in 35 (79.5%) and LGE in 40 (90.9%) patients. Clinical FU revealed symptoms persistence in 8/44 patients. At FU-CMR, LV-EF was reduced only in 2 patients, myocardial edema was present in 8/29 patients and LGE in 26/29. VAMPs appear to have a mild clinical presentation, with self-limiting course and resolution of CMR signs of active inflammation at short-term follow-up in most of the cases.

Fulminant Myocarditis and Cardiogenic Shock Following COVID-19 Infection Versus COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Myocarditis, diagnosed by symptoms and troponin elevation, has been well-described with COVID-19 infection, as well as shortly after COVID-19 vaccination. The literature has characterized the outcomes of myocarditis following COVID-19 infection and vaccination, but clinicopathologic, hemodynamic, and pathologic features following fulminant myocarditis have not been well-characterized. We aimed to compare clinical and pathological features of fulminant myocarditis requiring hemodynamic support with vasopressors/inotropes and mechanical circulatory support (MCS), in these two conditions.

METHODS

We analyzed the literature on fulminant myocarditis and cardiogenic shock associated with COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and systematically reviewed all cases and case series where individual patient data were presented. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for "COVID", "COVID-19", and "coronavirus" in combination with "vaccine", "fulminant myocarditis", "acute heart failure", and "cardiogenic shock". The Student's t-test was used for continuous variables and the χ2 statistic was used for categorical variables. For non-normal data distributions, the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test was used for statistical comparisons.

RESULTS

We identified 73 cases and 27 cases of fulminant myocarditis associated with COVID-19 infection (COVID-19 FM) and COVID-19 vaccination (COVID-19 vaccine FM), respectively. Fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain were common presentations, but shortness of breath and pulmonary infiltrates were more often present in COVID-19 FM. Tachycardia, hypotension, leukocytosis, and lactic acidosis were seen in both cohorts, but patients with COVID-19 FM were more tachycardic and hypotensive. Histologically, lymphocytic myocarditis dominated both subsets, with some cases of eosinophilic myocarditis in both cohorts. Cellular necrosis was seen in 44.0% and 47.8% of COVID-19 FM and COVID-19 vaccine FM, respectively. Vasopressors and inotropes were used in 69.9% of COVID-19 FM and in 63.0% of the COVID-19 vaccine FM. Cardiac arrest was observed more in COVID-19 FM (p = 0.008). Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support for cardiogenic shock was also used more commonly in the COVID-19 fulminant myocarditis group (p = 0.0293). Reported mortality was similar (27.7%) and 27.8%, respectively) but was likely worse for COVID-19 FM as the outcome was still unknown in 11% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

In the first series to retrospectively assess fulminant myocarditis associated with COVID-19 infection versus COVID-19 vaccination, we found that both conditions had a similarly high mortality rate, while COVID-19 FM had a more malignant course with more symptoms on presentation, more profound hemodynamic decompensation (higher heart rate, lower blood pressure), more cardiac arrests, and higher temporary MCS requirements including VA-ECMO. In terms of pathology, there was no difference in most biopsies/autopsies that demonstrated lymphocytic infiltrates and some eosinophilic or mixed infiltrates. There was no predominance of young males in COVID-19 vaccine FM cases, with male patients representing only 40.9% of the cohort.

Comparison of COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis and Viral Myocarditis Pathology

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant loss of life and severe disability, justifying the expedited testing and approval of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. While found to be safe and effective, there have been increasing reports of myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccine administration. The acute events have been severe enough to require admission to the intensive care unit in some, but most patients fully recover with only rare deaths reported. The pathways involved in the development of vaccine-associated myocarditis are highly dependent on the specific vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis is believed to be primarily caused by uncontrolled cytokine-mediated inflammation with possible genetic components in the interleukin-6 signaling pathway. There is also a potential autoimmune component via molecular mimicry. Many of these pathways are similar to those seen in viral myocarditis, indicating a common pathophysiology. There is concern for residual cardiac fibrosis and increased risk for the development of cardiomyopathies later in life. This is of particular interest for patients with congenital heart defects who are already at increased risk for fibrotic cardiomyopathies. Though the risk for vaccine-associated myocarditis is important to consider, the risk of viral myocarditis and other injury is far greater with COVID-19 infection. Considering these relative risks, it is still recommended that the general public receive vaccination against COVID-19, and it is particularly important for congenital heart defect patients to receive vaccination for COVID-19.

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases, in Patients with Cardiac Issues, and in the Healthy Population

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a challenge for the whole world since the beginning of 2020, and COVID-19 vaccines were considered crucial for disease eradication. Instead of producing classic vaccines, some companies pointed to develop products that mainly function by inducing, into the host, the production of the antigenic protein of SARS-CoV-2 called Spike, injecting an instruction based on RNA or a DNA sequence. Here, we aim to give an overview of the safety profile and the actual known adverse effects of these products in relationship with their mechanism of action. We discuss the use and safety of these products in at-risk people, especially those with autoimmune diseases or with previously reported myocarditis, but also in the general population. We debate the real necessity of administering these products with unclear long-term effects to at-risk people with autoimmune conditions, as well as to healthy people, at the time of omicron variants. This, considering the existence of therapeutic interventions, much more clearly assessed at present compared to the past, and the relatively lower aggressive nature of the new viral variants.

Myopericarditis After BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination With Incidental Intramyocardial Bridging

Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions affecting the myocardium and pericardium, respectively. They are caused by infectious and non-infectious conditions, including autoimmune disorders, drugs, and toxins. Vaccine-induced myocarditis has been reported with viral vaccines, including influenza and smallpox. The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) has shown ‎great efficacy against symptomatic, severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hospital admissions, and ‎deaths.‎ The US FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals ≥ five years. However, concerns were raised after reports of new cases of myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, especially among adolescents and young adults. Most cases developed symptoms after receiving the second dose. Here, we present a case of a previously healthy 34-year-old male who developed sudden and severe chest pain a week after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Cardiac catheterization showed no angiographically obstructive coronary artery disease but it revealed intramyocardial bridging. This case report demonstrates that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can be associated with acute myopericarditis and the clinical presentation can mimic acute coronary syndrome. Despite that, acute myopericarditis associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is usually mild and can be managed conservatively. Incidental findings such as intramyocardial bridging should not exclude the diagnosis of myocarditis and should be carefully evaluated. COVID-19 infection has high mortality and morbidity even in young individuals, and all different COVID-19 vaccines were found effective in the prevention of severe COVID-19 infection and in decreasing COVID-19 mortality.

Myocarditis or Pericarditis Following the COVID-19 Vaccination in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Background: By 16 May 2022, 12,186,798,032 people had been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines. Our study found that myocarditis/pericarditis may occur in adolescents after COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: In this regard, we conducted a meta-analysis of seven groups of adolescents aged 12–19 years to compare the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination and compare the relative risk incidence after the first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and between males and females for risk incidence. Results: We analyzed 22,020,997 subjects from seven studies, including 130 cases of confirmed myocarditis/pericarditis. The overall mean incidence rate was 1.69 cases per 100,000 person-years. Of these, 19 of the 12,122,244 people who received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had myocarditis/pericarditis, an incidence rate of 0.0022% (95% CI 0.0001–0.0034), and 111 of the 1,008,753 people who received a second dose had myocarditis/pericarditis, an incidence rate of 0.0107% (95% CI 0.0059–0.0155). The prevalence relative ratio (RR) after the first and second doses was RR = 5.53 (95% CI: 3.01–10.16), with a higher prevalence after the second dose than after the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. After a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the RR for males relative to females was RR = 13.91 (95% CI: 4.30–44.95), with a more pronounced risk of disease in males than in females. Conclusions: Our study showed that myocarditis/pericarditis occurred after vaccination with the BNT162b2 or Comirnaty vaccine, especially after the second vaccination in male adolescents, but the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination with the above vaccines was very rare (0.0022%). Therefore, it is recommended that adolescents should be vaccinated with the COVID-19 universal vaccine as soon as possible and closely monitored for subsequent adverse reactions, which can be treated promptly.

Adverse Events and Safety Profile of the COVID-19 Vaccines in Adolescents: Safety Monitoring for Adverse Events Using Real-World Data

A COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) has recently been authorized for adolescents in the US. However, the impact of adverse events on adolescents after vaccination has not been fully investigated. To assess the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents, the incidence of adverse events (AEs) in adolescents and adults was compared after vaccination. We included 6304 adolescents (68.14 per 100,000 people) who reported adverse events using vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS) data from 10 May 2021 to 30 September 2021. The mean age was 13.6 ± 1.1 years and women (52.7%) outnumbered men. We analyzed severe and common adverse events in response to the COVID-19 vaccine among 6304 adolescents (68.14 per 100,000 people; 52% female; mean age, 13.6 ± 1.1 years). The risk of myocarditis or pericarditis among adolescents was significantly higher in men than in women (OR = 6.61, 95% CI = 4.43 to 9.88; p < 0.001), with a higher frequency after the second dose of the vaccine (OR = 8.52, 95% CI = 5.79 to 12.54; p < 0.001). In addition, severe adverse events such as multisystem inflammatory syndromes, where the incidence rate per 100,000 people was 0.11 (n = 10), and the relative risk was 244.3 (95% CI = 31.27 to 1908.38; p < 0.001), were significantly higher in adolescents than in adults. The risk of the inflammatory response to the COVID-19 vaccine, including myocarditis, pericarditis, or multisystem inflammatory syndromes, was significantly higher in men than in women, with a higher frequency in adolescents than in adults. The inflammation-related AEs may require close monitoring and management in adolescents.