Link between COVID-19 vaccines and myocardial infarction

World J Clin Cases. 2022 Oct 6;10(28):10109-10119. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i28.10109.

Abstract

Background: Vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) include ChAdOx1-SARS-COV-2 (AstraZeneca), Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), BNT162b2 (Pfizer), BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm), CoronaVac (Sinovac), and Bharat Biotech BBV152 (Covaxin).

Aim: To find the association between COVID-19 vaccines and myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: This is a systematic review that involved searching databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PakMediNet after making a search strategy using MeSH and Emtree terms. Eligibility criteria were set, and studies having no mention of MI as a complication of COVID-19 vaccination, protocols, genetic studies, and animal studies were excluded. Data was extracted using a predesigned extraction table, and 29 studies were selected after screening and applying the eligibility criteria.

Results: The majority of studies mentioned AstraZeneca (18 studies) followed by Pfizer (14 studies) and Moderna (9 studies) in subjects reporting MI after vaccination. Out of all the studies, 69% reported MI cases after the first COVID-19 vaccination dose and 14% after the second, 44% reported ST-segment elevation MI, and 26% reported non-ST-segment elevation MI. The mortality rate was 29% after MI.

Conclusion: In conclusion, many studies linked MI to COVID-19 vaccinations, but no definitive association could be found.

Keywords: Association; AstraZeneca; Covaxin; Janssen; Moderna; Myocardial infarction; Pfizer; SARS-CoV-2 infection; Sinovac; Vaccination.