COVID-19: 51% Suspect Heart Damage From Vaccine

In the wake of recent warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about half of Americans think vaccines against the COVID-19 virus may have caused heart problems for some patients.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults believe it’s likely that the COVID-19 vaccine has caused inflammation in the hearts of many vaccinated Americans, including 29% who think it is Very Likely. Twenty-eight percent (28%) don’t consider it likely that COVID-19 vaccine caused many cases of heart inflammation, and 21% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

Earlier this month, the FDA ordered makers of COVID-19 vaccines to expand their warnings about the risk of the heart side effects — which doctors call myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart). Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republicans, 39% of Democrats and 49% of those not affiliated with either major party believe it’s at least somewhat likely that many have suffered heart inflammation caused by COVID-19 vaccine.

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The survey of 1,216 American Adults was conducted on May 22 and 25-26, 2025 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Thirty-five percent (35%) of American Adults have taken a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the last 12 months, while 62% have not.

Fifty percent (50%) believe the COVID-19 vaccine should continue to be offered commercially, while 34% do not and 16% are not sure.

Among those who have had a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the last 12 months, 76% think the vaccine should continue to be offered commercially.

Fifty percent (50%) of Democrats, 29% of Republicans and 26% of the unaffiliated have taken a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the last 12 months.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of Democrats, 39% of Republicans and 44% of the unaffiliated say the COVID-19 vaccine should continue to be offered commercially.

More men (40%) than women (30%) have had the COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the past year. Women are less supportive of continuing commercial availability for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Americans 65 and older are most likely to have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the past year. Those in their 30s are more likely to suspect that many people have suffered heart inflammation from the COVID-19 vaccine. Women under 40 are least likely to have had a COVID-19 shot in the past year.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of whites, 44% of blacks, 59% of Hispanics and 64% of other minorities consider it at least somewhat likely that  the COVID-19 vaccine has caused inflammation in the hearts of many vaccinated Americans. Blacks are most likely to say they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in the last 12 months.

The belief that so-called “chemtrails” are secretly being used to change the weather is widely regarded as a conspiracy theory. But most voters favor legislation against such “geoengineering,” just in case. 

As high school seniors across the country get ready to collect their diplomas, less than a third of Americans believe new graduates are prepared for the future.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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