Qatar-based Study Highlights Rare Side Effect Of COVID-19 Vaccine

A new study carried out by Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine and Qatar University has documented a 22-year-old male patient who developed myocarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle – after receiving his third dose of an mRNA vaccine.

The young man is known to have no significant medical history. But he experienced difficulty breathing within 24 hours of vaccination. The study noted regional wall motion abnormalities in his echocardiogram, a feature not commonly linked to myocarditis.

COVID-19 Vaccines Not Without Potential Side Effects

The concerning case highlights a rare side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. But health practitioners continue to stress that the benefits of such inventions in preventing severe illness, hospitalisation and fatality far outweigh the risks.

But the authors of the study published on November 8 have underscored that mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots, are not without potential side effects, despite playing a crucial role in the fight against the pandemic.

Myocarditis, even though rare, is one such side effect that has emerged in a small number of cases, primarily among young male patients, as per research published in the US National Library of Medicine last year. The 22-year-old is known to have responded well to treatment.

An Insight Into Myocarditis

Myocarditis occurs when the heart muscle becomes inflamed, affecting the organ’s electrical system. This can cause a rapid or abnormal heartbeat. In the early stage of the condition, patients are likely to have few or no symptoms at all.

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Still, some of the most common symptoms of myocarditis include chest pain, fatigue, rapid or abnormal heart rhythm, signs of infection (such as fever, diarrhoea, sore throat, headache, shortness of breath and muscle aches), and swelling in legs.