Claims about COVID-19 vaccines causing heart attacks in young people are still concerning to some people. A new study published on April 11^th found no evidence that the vaccines cause cardiac arrest in young adults. The study examined 1,292 death certificates of people ages 16-30 in Oregon who died between June 2021 and December 2022. The results add to a growing body of evidence that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine does not cause sudden deaths from heart attacks in young adults.

Some false claims are still circulating that COVID-19 vaccines cause deadly heart problems heart in young people. This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence that deaths from heart diseases are not caused by the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Heart conditions like inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) and inflammation of the outer heart lining (pericarditis) are rare reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine, and symptoms can include a fluttering heart, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Most people with these rare side effects feel better after rest and medicine, recovering completely.  

These two types of heart inflammation are different than heart attacks and cardiac arrest and are rare reactions to the body’s immune response to the vaccine.

The new CDC data looked at the death certificates of 1,292 people aged 16-30 who died between June 2021 and December 2022. Of these, 40 had received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Of those 40 people, three received the vaccine less than 100 days before death. In those three individuals, two had underlying illnesses and one had an undetermined cause of death.

The sample size for this study was relatively small and did not include instances of heart attacks that did not result in death. Scientists continue to research these topics, but this study adds to a growing body of evidence on the safety of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC continues to monitor reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects such as heart inflammation (myocarditis and pericarditis).

The study did not examine deaths for the 37 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine over 100 days before death, though other studies suggest that if they were to happen, vaccine adverse effects tend to occur within 42 days after vaccination. Scientists continue to monitor these effects over time.