Washington state has not found any definitive cases of young people who’ve experienced myocarditis or pericarditis caused by COVID-19 vaccines, according to state Department of Health officials.
The DOH said earlier this week that it was investigating a small number of cases in which patients reported post-vaccination symptoms of heart inflammation. But so far, none of these cases have been linked to the vaccine, said Dr. Scott Lindquist, the state’s epidemiologist for communicable diseases, at a weekly news briefing Wednesday.
State health officials have asked for assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is conducting its own investigation into reports of heart inflammation following vaccination.
Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammations of the heart muscle and the membrane sac around the heart, usually caused by viral infections, Lindquist said. Symptoms include chest pain, abnormal heartbeat and shortness of breath.