No evidence COVID-19 vaccine 'shuts off' the heart, contrary to anti-Kelce post | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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The claim: COVID-19 vaccine 'shuts off' the heart

A Jan. 22 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce making the shape of a heart with his hands.

"Mr. Pfizer showing you which organ the vaccine shuts off," reads text above the image.

The post's caption reads, "He's telling you loud and clear! Remember to protect your HEART and say NO the (sic) clot shots"

The post was liked more than 2,500 times in three weeks.

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Our rating: False

Experts say there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines can "shut off" the heart. There have been rare instances of myocarditis after vaccination, but public health agencies say the risk of COVID-19 infection outweighs any known risk associated with the vaccine.

No evidence COVID-19 vaccine 'shuts off' heart

Kelce appeared in a commercial that aired in the fall as part of a paid partnership with Pfizer urging everyone to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine shots. The commercial raised the ire of those who have spoken out against the vaccine, including sidelined New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who called Kelce "Mr. Pfizer" and challenged him to a debate about the vaccine's effectiveness.

More than 676 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the vaccines are safe and effective and recommends everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated to prevent serious illness.

While rare cases of myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, have been linked to the vaccines, experts said the post's claim is false.

"We have no evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 vaccine shuts down the heart or is associated with widespread heart failure," Erin Faherty, a pediatric cardiologist at Yale Medicine, told USA TODAY. "However, we do know that COVID-19 infection is linked to increased risk of heart failure."

Faherty said studies have shown that being vaccinated is associated with a lower risk of certain cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and heart failure, among people infected with COVID-19.

There is a "very minor risk" of myocarditis and pericarditis after being vaccinated, but it is rare, and most cases have been mild with patients who responded well to medication and rest, Faherty said.

"From the data we have, the risks of COVID-19 infection far outweigh the minor cardiac risk of vaccination," she said.

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Similarly, the CDC states on its website that most people reported to have myocarditis after being vaccinated "responded well to medicine and rest and symptoms resolved by the time they went home from the hospital." The agency is still studying the long-term effects of post-vaccination myocarditis.

The number of cases of myocarditis reported after COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. was, in August 2021, about 40 cases per million people vaccinated after the second dose, according to the World Health Organization.

Multiple public health agencies also say the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risk of developing myocarditis after being vaccinated. A study published in 2022 found the risk of heart complications, including myocarditis, was higher after being infected with COVID-19 than it was after the second dose of the vaccine.

The American Heart Association recommends even people with a history of heart disease get vaccinated "because they are at much greater risk from the virus than they are from the vaccine."

The photograph of Kelce in the Instagram post was taken during the Chiefs' Jan. 21 playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. He later explained he "had to spread the love" to the Bills fans in attendance, Entertainment Tonight reported.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim COVID-19 vaccine 'shuts off' the heart | Fact check