Sustained Myocarditis following Messenger RNA Vaccination against Coronavirus Disease 2019: Relation to Neutralizing Antibody and Amelioration by Low-Dose Booster Vaccination

Abstract

We recently reported that sub-acute myocarditis occurred following the initial two doses of messenger RNA-based vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (0.3 mL Comirnaty®) in elderly Japanese patients with cardiac dysfunction. The present retrospective study of 76 patients revealed that myocarditis following the initial doses persisted for 12 months, was associated with low levels of neutralizing antibodies, and was ameliorated by reducing the third vaccine dose. Low neutralizing antibody levels (p = 0.02, n = 25), no deaths occurred due to heart failure, and neutralizing antibody levels increased 41-fold (p < 0.001) compared with the initial doses. Reduced booster doses could facilitate the worldwide distribution of messenger RNA vaccines.

Keywords

• coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• vaccine
• myocarditis
• heart failure
• neutralizing antibody