Controversy surrounds Dr. Fauci’s comments on myocarditis and mRNA vaccines

Social media users are sharing a recent video of Dr. Anthony Fauci stating that the COVID-19 vaccine carries a low risk of myocarditis among young men. Responses to these posts allege that concerns about myocarditis related to mRNA vaccines have been understated throughout the pandemic. In the video, Dr. Fauci also explained that the risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 itself is greater than the risk posed by the vaccine, though this point was ignored by critics.

Risk level: Medium

Recommendation: Myocarditis is one of the most common topics of vaccine opponents, and the public is often confused about when myocarditis might occur and why. Doctors may face questions about the risk of myocarditis from the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Health care providers may emphasize that cases of post-vaccine myocarditis are extremely rare and usually mild. A COVID-19 infection is more likely to cause myocarditis than a COVID-19 vaccine, and those cases are typically more severe. This is even true among young men, who are most likely to experience myocarditis from vaccines.