COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Increase CV Event Risk in Those With Existing Disease

FRIDAY, June 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- There is no evidence of an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online June 22 in Cardiovascular Research.

Xuxiao Ye, from University of Hong Kong, and colleagues examined the association between two COVID-19 vaccines, BNT162b2 and CoronaVac, and the risk for MACE (a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization, and cardiovascular death) in individuals with established CVD. The analysis included 229,235 individuals with CVD, of whom 1,764 were vaccinated and had a diagnosis of MACE during the observation period (BNT162b2, 662 individuals; CoronaVac, 1,102 individuals).

The researchers found that for BNT162b2, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were 0.48 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 1.02) for the first dose and 0.87 (95 percent CI, 0.50 to 1.52) for the second dose during the 0- to 13-day risk period. During the 14- to 27-day risk period, the IRRs were 0.40 (95 percent CI, 0.18 to 0.93) for the first dose and 1.13 (95 percent CI, 0.70 to 1.84) for the second dose. For CoronaVac during the 0- to 13-day risk period, the IRRs were 0.43 (95 percent CI, 0.24 to 0.75) for the first dose and 0.73 (95 percent CI, 0.46 to 1.16) for the second dose. During the 14- to 27-day risk period, IRRs for CoronaVac were 0.54 (95 percent CI, 0.33 to 0.90) for the first dose and 0.83 (95 percent CI, 0.54 to 1.29) for the second dose. Results were similar when examining sex, age, and different underlying cardiovascular conditions.

"Our study showed that preexisting CVD should not prevent people from getting vaccinated against COVID-19," a coauthor said in a statement. "Vaccination is particularly important for this group since cardiovascular disease is associated with worse outcomes and a higher risk of death after COVID-19 infection."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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