Covid raises risk of heart problems more than vaccine: CDC

The risk for cardiac complications was significantly higher after Covid-19 infection than after mRNA vaccination developed by Pfizer or Moderna against the deadly infectious disease, according to an analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These findings, which were for both males and females in all age groups, supported the continued use of recommended mRNA Covid-19 vaccines among all eligible persons aged over 5 years, the CDC said in its latest weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Cardiac complications, particularly myocarditis and pericarditis as well as the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) - a rare but serious complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection with frequent cardiac involvement and majorly affecting children - have been associated with Covid infection and mRNA vaccination.


Using electronic health record (EHR) data of 15,215,178 persons aged over 5 years from 40 US health care systems during January 1, 2021-January 31, 2022, the investigators calculated incidences of all these cardiac outcomes among all persons.