Northland Cardiologists Urge All Patients To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

The cardiology service at Northland District Health Board is aware that some patients with heart problems have declined vaccination because they are concerned about the potential risk of myopericarditis.

We the undersigned cardiologists endorse vaccinations for all our patients and urge all unvaccinated patients to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Myocarditis from the vaccine is rare (2- 10 cases per 100,000 doses)[i], and usually only mild or moderate in severity.

Patients with underlying cardiac issues who get infected with COVID have a substantially increased risk of requiring an admission to ICU or dying from COVID.

The small risk of myocarditis from the vaccine does not justify people not having the vaccine, the risk from COVID for you is much higher.

We strongly encourage all our patients to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Nga mihi nui

Dr Marcus Lee [MBChB FRACP FCSANZ]

Interventional Cardiologist & Clinical Lead for Cardiac Catheter Laboratory

Dr Raewyn Fisher [MBChB FRACP FCSANZ]

Cardiologist & Clinical Lead for Cardiology

Dr Karthigesh(Kat) Sree Raman [PhD MBChB FRACP FCSANZ]

Cardiologist

[i] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2110737

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