Fox News anchor John Roberts recently shared a personal account of pericarditis while discussing newly released text messages involving COVID vaccination and pregnancy. During America Reports on Fox News, Roberts said he developed pericarditis after his third COVID shot and that it returned more severely after his fourth.
The comments came as Republican Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul released a batch of text messages involving Dr. Anthony Fauci and other senior health officials from January 2021. The discussion has drawn attention to both Roberts’ medical history and the distinction between reported vaccine risks and evidence of causation.
John Roberts details pericarditis after COVID booster shots
John Roberts discusses his heart health while covering newly released Fauci’s messages. BY: Fox News/YouTube
Roberts said he developed pericarditis after one of his COVID booster shots. He explained, “I remember when I got the boosters, I developed pericarditis, then that went away. Then when I had the second booster, it came roaring back again. So, you know, the body reacts differently to these things depending on who you are.”
Pericarditis is inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. The FDA and CDC recognize myocarditis and pericarditis as rare side effects associated mainly with mRNA COVID vaccines, including the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. These cases have been reported most often among young males, although they can occur in other groups.
Roberts has a history of heart problems
Roberts shares his account of pericarditis returning after another COVID booster. BY: Fox News/YouTube
Roberts also has a documented history of heart problems. According to USA Today, he had a heart stent placed in 2018 after doctors found a 90 percent blockage in an artery. In early 2022, he received a pacemaker after problems developed with his heart’s electrical system and a previously placed stent. He has also received treatment for atrial fibrillation.
Roberts was hospitalized after feeling unwell and discovered that his stent had blocked again. He had also shared that doctors reopened the stent and implanted a pacemaker. Roberts said afterward that he hoped to make a full recovery.
Fauci raised theoretical concerns about COVID vaccination during pregnancy
Fauci discussed the reaction to COVID booster shots. BY: Fox News/YouTube
According to The Wall Street Journal, the discussion on Fox News followed the release of text messages among Fauci, then-CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, and then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. In a January 2021 exchange, Fauci raised a theoretical concern about pregnant women receiving a second COVID vaccine dose. He wrote that significant cytokine responses and fever after the second dose could theoretically be associated with miscarriage during the first trimester.
Walensky replied that it was a good point, especially after the second dose. A cytokine storm refers to an excessive inflammatory response that can cause severe inflammation and high fever. The messages mirrored concerns officials were considering as they evaluated the limited information available about COVID vaccination during pregnancy at that time.