Channel 7 journalist hospitalised with pericarditis after Pfizer vaccine

Channel 7 reporter Denham Hitchcock has spoken from hospital after being diagnosed with pericarditis, a rare side effect of the Pfizer vaccine.

Denham Hitchcock has shared his story of being hospitalised after receiving the Pfizer jab, suffering from pericarditis, a rare side effect that results in inflammation of the heart.

In a post to Instagram, the Channel 7 journalist wrote that he’d “battled over whether” to share his experience or not, “but decided after 27 years of being a journalist who’s primary goal is to discover the truth – it would be hypocritical not to”.

“I’m NOT anti-vax. But I’m really not pro vax either. I’m pro choice – and pro information to make that choice. Above all I’m PRO opening the bloody country up and to do that I don’t see any way around getting the majority of Australia vaccinated. So I got the Pfizer shot,” Hitchcock said.

“The first week was like any vaccine. Feeling off. But nearing the end of the second week my heart started to race, I was getting pins and needles in the arms, extreme fatigue and a very strange sensation of dizziness. I took Nurofen, and I kept working.

“By the end of the third week I was getting steadily worse – sharp chest pain – cold shivers and chills – and the dizziness was intense. 25 days after the shot and probably a little late to hospital – but here I am – diagnosed with pericarditis – or inflammation of the heart due to the Pfizer vaccine.”

The extremely rare side effect impacts about one in 74,000 people who receive the Pfizer vaccine. In overseas studies, according to advice from Australia’s Department of Health, it particularly impacts males under 30 years of age after they’ve received their second dose.

With Delta outbreaks in three of Australia’s states and territories, the benefits of protection against Covid-19 far outweigh the tiny risk of possible side effects from getting the jab.

Executive director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Professor Jason Kovacic, told news.com.au that instances of myocarditis and pericarditis after receiving the Pfizer vaccine occur “only very, very rarely”.

“About 60 people per one million can get myocarditis with the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) and it is generally a mild, short-lived illness. These complications cause inflammation of the heart muscle or inflammation of the lining around the heart muscle,” Professor Kovacic explained.

“These complications have been reported in just a handful of people around the world and to the best of our knowledge most of them have recovered. In contrast, risk of having some of heart complications if you contract Covid-19 is about 1000 times higher at five to 10 per cent.”

Pointing to a recent observational study, Prof Kovacic said that young males infected with the virus are up to six times more likely to develop inflammation of the heart as opposed to those who received the jab.

“Covid-19 vaccines are incredibly safe and incredibly effective at preventing people from getting seriously unwell with Covid-19 infection,” he added.

“The benefits for being vaccinated far outweigh any risk to the heart, especially given the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant which is now affecting an increasing number of young people.”

“My present thought would be – in the current vaccine frenzy, no one is talking about this but it’s clearly happening – and if you want the vaccine and have any heart history it would be worth talking to your GP about your vaccine choice, especially as AZ is readily available and does not have this side effect,” Hitchcock advised.

His diagnosis comes after Georgia Clark, a reporter with The Daily Telegraph, also revealed that she was being treated for pericarditis – but urged Aussies to continue coming forward to get vaccinated.

“If this is what the vaccine has done to me, who knows what would happen if I actually caught Covid, I could die,” the 27-year-old told The Daily Telegraph.

“Hearing about that has inspired me to speak out, because I know this is nowhere near as bad as catching Covid.”

Journalist Georgia Clark, who has also been hospitalised with the rare condition. Picture: Georgia Clark

NSW reached a grim new Covid-19 record today, with 1029 cases and three deaths confirmed.

But as vaccination rates continue to climb, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a raft of easing restrictions for fully vaccinated residents surrounding outdoor gatherings, which will come into effect on September 13.

A number of other restrictions will also ease from next week, with rules around funerals, single bubbles and real estate to change from Monday.

“We know people coming together is what people miss the most. From the various options we looked at, that was the option that met the mental health needs and wellbeing of our community, but also provided the lowest-risk setting,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.

She then asked residents and businesses to prepare for the community to open up even further in the coming months.

“NSW is calling on industry and citizens to get ready for when we are 70 per cent double-vaccinated. That‘s when things will start to open,” she said.

“The NSW Government will start conversations with industry, but we do say that the condition of you participating in what will be reopening is on you being vaccinated. Because when you start opening at 70 per cent, there are certain activities only vaccinated people can do.”