Background: Vaccination is the most important measure to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Myocarditis has been reported as a rare adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccines. The clinical presentation of myocarditis in such cases can range from mild general symptoms to acute heart failure.
Case summary: We report the cases of two young men who presented with chest pain and dyspnoea following the administration of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Cardiac investigations revealed findings typical of acute myocarditis.
Discussion: Myocarditis is a rare complication following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. In this case series, the temporal proximity of the development of acute myocarditis and the administration of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was acknowledged. In the absence of other causative factors, myocarditis in these patients potentially occurred due to an adverse reaction to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. However, a causal relationship remains speculative. Clinical suspicion of myocarditis should be high if patients present with chest pain or dyspnoea after receiving COVID-19 vaccination.
Keywords: Adverse reaction; COVID-19; Case report; Myocarditis; Vaccine.
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.