A case of myopericarditis following administration of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Abstract

Numerous vaccines have been developed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the most frequently administered are the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Of 177 million individuals that have full vaccination status, there have been 1,148 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis reported. At this time, the relationship between myopericarditis and the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has not been well established in current literature due to the novelty of the vaccine. We discuss a 16-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with chest pain 48 hours after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. His laboratory and electrocardiogram findings were consistent with acute myopericarditis and work-up did not reveal an obvious etiology. After starting anti-inflammatory therapies, the patient’s symptoms and laboratory markers improved and the patient was discharged from the hospital expected to make a full recovery. This case demonstrates the rapid recovery with no sequelae following this adverse effect, highlighting that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination most likely outweigh the risks.