Local 12: What researchers say we should know about heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccine
UC expert says if you got vaccinated weeks ago, there's no need to panic
An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into reports that some teenagers and young adults who have received the COVID-19 vaccine have experienced heart inflammation. They are reviewing these cases to see if there’s a possible connection.
The CDC is looking into what is being described as a handful of reports of myocarditis, or heart inflammation, after vaccination. So far, the rates reported don’t appear to be higher than expected and there’s been no evidence the vaccine caused this problem. WKRC-TV/Local 12 turned to Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the UC College of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases to learn more.
Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the UC College of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases/Photo/Joe Fuqua II/UC Creative + Brand
“If you had your vaccine last month, I don’t think this is going to be a worry,” said Fichtenbaum. He said the first thing to know about this is that if you had the vaccine weeks ago, don’t panic.
“If you’re feeling fine, I wouldn’t be concerned about it,” said Fichtenbaum.
The second thing to know, he said, is that the condition usually resolves on its own. If it lingers, however, you may experience chest pain and shortness of breath, so tell your doctor. The third thing to know is this same condition can be caused by the coronavirus itself.
Local 12 also asked him about why this inflammation appeared to be reported in younger people and if there is any speculation as to why that might happen:
“I think that might have something to do with the fact that they may not have been exposed to a particular virus,” said Fichtenbaum. “We see this less often in people who are in their 50s, 60s and 70s.”
See the full story here. WLWT-TV, Channel 5, also interviewed Fichtenbaum on the same topic. See that story here.
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