What You Need to Know
CDC article here.
More than 177 million people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, and CDC continues to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for any health problems that happen after vaccination.
- Since April 2021, there have been more than a thousand reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of cases of inflammation of the heart—called myocarditis and pericarditis—happening after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) in the United States.
- These reports are rare, given the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses administered, and have been reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in adolescents and young adults. View the latest information.
- CDC and its partners are actively monitoring these reports, by reviewing data and medical records, to learn more about what happened and to understand any relationship to COVID-19 vaccination.
- Most patients who received care responded well to treatment and rest and quickly felt better.
- Confirmed cases have occurred:
- Mostly in male adolescents and young adults age 16 years or older
- More often after getting the second dose than after the first dose of one of these two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
- Typically within several days after COVID-19 vaccination
- Patients can usually return to their normal daily activities after their symptoms improve. They should speak with their doctor about return to exercise or sports.
- CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older, given the risk of COVID-19 illness and related, possibly severe complications.
- Getting vaccinated is the best way to help protect yourself and your family from COVID-19.
- More information will be shared as it becomes available.
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. In both cases, the body’s immune system causes inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger. Learn more about myocarditis and pericarditisexternal icon.
Should I Still Get Myself or My Child Vaccinated?
Yes. CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older, given the risk of COVID-19 illness and related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death. If you or your child has already gotten the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, it’s important to get the second dose unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to get it.
The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis. Also, most patients with myocarditis and pericarditis who received care responded well to treatment and rest and quickly felt better.
If you have concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, talk with your or your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic.
What Myocarditis/Pericarditis Symptoms Should I Be on the Lookout for after mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination?
Be on the lookout for any of the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart
Seek medical care if you think you or your child have any of these symptoms within a week after COVID-19 vaccination.
What you need to know
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
- Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
- CDC recommends everyone ages 12 and older get vaccinated as soon as possible to help protect against COVID-19 and the related, potentially severe complications that can occur.
- CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal agencies monitoring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Adverse events described on this page have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)external icon.
- VAERS accepts reports of any adverse event following vaccination.
- Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem.
Serious adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare but may occur.
For public awareness and in the interest of transparency, CDC is providing timely updates on the following serious adverse events of interest:
- Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare and has occurred in approximately 2 to 5 people per million vaccinated in the United States. Severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur after any vaccination. If this occurs, vaccination providers can effectively and immediately treat the reaction. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
- Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccination is rare. As of June 21, 2021, more than 12 million doses of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine have been given in the United States. CDC and FDA identified 36 confirmed reports of people who got the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and later developed TTS. Women younger than 50 years old especially should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event. There are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen. Learn more about J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and TTS.
- To date, one confirmed case of TTS following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Moderna) has been reported to VAERS after more than 306 million doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccinesadministered in the United States. Based on available data, there is not an increased risk for TTS after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.
- Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. As of June 21, 2021, VAERS has received 616 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among people ages 30 and younger who received COVID-19 vaccine. Most cases have been reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), particularly in male adolescents and young adults. Through follow-up, including medical record reviews, CDC and FDA have confirmed 393 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis. CDC and its partners are investigating these reports to assess whether there is a relationship to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and myocarditis.
- Reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. More than 318 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through June 21, 2021. During this time, VAERS received 5,479 reports of death (0.0017%) among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine. FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS, even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine was the cause. Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem. A review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records, has not established a causal link to COVID-19 vaccines. However, recent reports indicate a plausible causal relationship between the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and TTS, a rare and serious adverse event—blood clots with low platelets—which has caused deaths.
(VAERS).