Our providers at Town Pediatrics do recommend vaccination. Overall, there is a good amount of data at this point with 163.9 million people fully vaccinated in the U.S. Yes, many of these are 18 and older, but it is still good data. Of this number, the number of people with complications while getting lots of recognition in the media was quite small. Specifically, regarding the 12–17-year old’s, the complication of myocarditis is in the range of 67 cases per million vaccines given. The complication of MIS-C from the Covid disease is 1 per 1000 cases of those kids who get Covid disease. What we’ve heard from our community pediatric cardiologists is that the myocarditis from the vaccine is mild, treatable, and reversible. This is not always true of the cardiac complications from MIS-C caused by Covid. Some of these complications are permanent and irreversible. In addition, concerns with the delta variant affecting more young people are very concerning as those that are unvaccinated are certainly at more risk than those that are vaccinated. If one decides to “wait and see” this strain of the virus is certainly a risk to keep in mind. The health department and local pharmacies are the best place to get vaccinated at this time. There will be an opportunity for vaccination sponsored by the Loudoun County Health Department at Dulles Town Center on Saturday, August 14, 2021. This is the official statement from medical authorities:

“The facts are clear: this is an extremely rare side effect, and only an exceedingly small number of people will experience it after vaccination,” health officials and medical organizations said in a statement Wednesday. Importantly, for the young people who do, most cases are mild, and individuals recover often on their own or with minimal treatment. In addition, we know that myocarditis and pericarditis are much more common if you get COVID-19, and the risks to the heart from COVID-19 infection can be more severe.”

The statement was signed by leaders of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the AAP and other medical and public health groups. It followed an in-depth discussion by the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on myocarditis cases after COVID-19 vaccination. Read more here.

For additional information about the vaccine and myocarditis click here.