The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical (VaST) Work Group’s session on May 17, 2021 included several presentations on myocarditis following mRNA vaccines, from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), and Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There were also brief updates from the Veteran’s Administration (VA) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) groups about their plans for future investigation of myocarditis. VaST concluded that there are relatively few reports of myocarditis to date and that these cases seem to occur:
- predominantly in adolescents and young adults,
- more often in males than females,
- more often following dose two than dose one, and
- typically within four days after vaccination.
Most cases appear to be mild, and follow-up of cases is ongoing.
Within CDC safety monitoring systems, rates of myocarditis reports in the window following COVID-19 vaccination have not differed from expected baseline rates. However, VaST members felt that information about reports of myocarditis should be communicated to providers.
VaST discussed:
- Further information should be collected through medical record review about potential myocarditis cases that were reported into VAERS.
- Information about this potential adverse event should be provided to clinicians to enhance early recognition and appropriate management of persons who develop myocarditis symptoms following vaccination.
- Collaboration between infectious diseases, cardiology, and rheumatology specialists is needed to provide guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and management of myocarditis.
