18 CT Teens Report Heart Problems After Coronavirus Vaccine

CONNECTICUT — One week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was monitoring heart problems reported by young adults recently vaccinated against the coronavirus, 18 such cases were reported in Connecticut.

Acting Health Commissioner Deirdre Gifford said that providers of the vaccine in the state have notified the Department of Public Health of the cases. All but one of the 18 cases have been released from the hospital.

"We do not know if these are vaccine-related or not," Gifford said.

A CDC workgroup on May 17 announced findings regarding "relatively few reports of myocarditis" that seemed to occur predominantly in adolescents and young adults, more often in males than females, more often following dose 2 than dose 1, and typically within 4 days after vaccination. The CDC alerted vaccine providers to the workgroup's findings, and asked them to notify state health departments if any cases are reported to them.

Currently, the rates of myocarditis reports in the window following COVID-19 vaccination have not differed from expected baseline rates, according to the CDC workgroup, which nevertheless "felt that information about reports of myocarditis should be communicated to providers," according to their report.

"We have been in touch with CDC to make sure that they are aware of the cases," Gifford confirmed during a news conference Monday. She described the Connecticut myocarditis cases as "rare, mild and self-limited."

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Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle which can interfere with its electrical system and cause abnormal heart rhythms, according to the Mayo Clinic. Typically, it is caused by a viral infection, but it can also be triggered by an adverse reaction to a drug. Exposure to certain types of chemical and radiation can also sometimes cause the condition.

Symptoms of myocarditis in children include fever, fainting, breathing difficulties, rapid breathing, and rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.

Each year about 10 to 20 of every 100,000 people develop myocarditis. Symptoms are often so mild that many of them are unaware they had it.

For those who develop severe cases of the condition, damage to the heart muscle may prevent it from pumping blood adequately. That in turn can lead to blood clotting, a heart attack or a stroke.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked Monday about the cases reported nationally, and said President Joe Biden had been informed.

"Our health and medical experts still continue to convey that it is the right step for 12- to 15-year-olds to get vaccinated, that these are limited cases, and that, obviously, the risks of contracting COVID are certainly significant even for people of that age," Psaki said.

Just under 2.2 million Americans age 12-15 have received at least dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the CDC. In Connecticut, as of Monday, DPH reports that 27 percent of those between 12-15 have been vaccinated.