Objective:

To investigate whether chronic comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity) modify the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in males aged 18–30.

Approach:

• Study Design: A case-coverage study using observed-versus-expected (O/E) and disproportionality analyses was conducted on VAERS data.
• Data Sources: VAERS data from 2021–2022 were utilized to identify reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in the target population.
• Outcome Definition: Reports of myocarditis or pericarditis suspected to be associated with mRNA vaccination were included, with specific eligibility criteria applied.

Key Findings:

• Increasedreportingofmyocarditis/pericarditisamongmalesaged18–30followingmRNAvaccinationisnotexplainedbyhigherprevalenceofpre-existinghypertension,diabetes,dyslipidemia,orobesitybasedontheobserved-versus-expectedanalysis.

Interpretation:

The study applies disproportionality methods to assess vaccine-related adverse events and finds that common comorbidities do not significantly modify the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis post-vaccination.

Limitations:

• Detailedclinicaladjudicationofreportswasnotfeasible,andtheapplicationofexclusioncriteriatoexpectedprevalenceestimateswasinconsistent.

Conclusion:

The findings indicate that pre-existing comorbid conditions do not appear to increase the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in young males.