December 14, 2021

expert reaction to paper looking at risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection

A study published in Nature Medicine looks at cardiovascular complications after the first dose or second dose of COVID-19 vaccines and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

This Roundup accompanied an SMC Briefing.

Dr Peter English, Retired Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, Former Editor of Vaccines in Practice, past Chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said:

“The authors have a strong track record in examining possible adverse reactions to vaccination.

“The observation that the risk of myo- and pericarditis is much greater following Covid-19 disease than it is after Covid-19 vaccination is not new information.  We already know this.  But this solid, scientifically robust paper supports and confirms this.

“The take-home: if you don’t want to get myocarditiis or pericarditis, get vaccinated!  If you don’t get vaccinated, with ever more transmissible forms of SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading widely, it is only a matter of time before you get Covid-19; and the risks if you do massively outweigh the risks of vaccination.”

‘Risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection’ by Martina Patone et al. was published in Nature Medicine on Tuesday 14 December 2021.

DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01630-0

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01630-0

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

Declared interests

Dr Peter English: “Dr English is on the editorial board of Vaccines Today: an unpaid, voluntary, position.  While he is also a member of the BMA’s Public Health Medicine Committee (and its chair until Oct 2020), this comment is made in a personal capacity.  Dr English sometimes receives honoraria for acting as a consultant to various vaccine manufacturers, most recently to Seqirus.”