A recent Oxford study has resurfaced the false claim that myocarditis and pericarditis in children and adolescents only occur after mRNA vaccination and not after COVID-19 infection. The study has been misrepresented by vaccine opponents since a preliminary version was published in 2024. Recent posts repeat the misleading claim that the study found that only vaccinated children developed rare heart inflammation, while omitting that the study did not analyze any health outcomes after infection, as this was not its focus.
Recommendation
False and misleading claims about heart inflammation risk after COVID-19 vaccination may discourage parents from vaccinating children and adolescents. Health communicators may address concerns about vaccine safety by explaining that the Oxford study, like other large-scale studies, found that COVID-19 vaccination reduced the risk of infection, severe illness, and hospitalization in children and adolescents. The study also found that heart inflammation after vaccination was extremely rare and typically mild. Messaging may emphasize that studies comparing heart inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination and infection—which the Oxford study does not do—have consistently found that infection is associated with a higher risk.
Explaining that vaccination is the best way to protect against COVID-19 is recommended, as is emphasizing that COVID-19 infection can cause serious long-term complications in children, including increased risk of heart issues. Communicators may also highlight evidence that vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness and long COVID in children.
Fact-checking sources: USA Today, AAP
Communication resources: Find talking points and resources for communicating about COVID-19
