A small study has shown that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients who had an inflamed heart muscle in the past is not associated with a recurrence of the condition or other serious side effects. The research is presented at ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

These results provide reassuring data that may encourage patients with a history of myocarditis to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2,” said study author Dr. Iyad Abou Saleh of Hospices Civils de Lyon, France. “It should be noted that the majority of patients in our study received the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine and therefore the findings may not apply to other vaccines.”

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. Signs and symptoms include fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeats. The inflammation can reduce the heart's ability to pump and can also cause arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Prevalence is estimated at 10 to 106 cases per ...