But the problem, he explained, did not stay away permanently.
“Then, when I had the second booster, it came roaring back again,” he continued.
Roberts said his experience serves as a reminder that medical treatments and vaccines do not necessarily affect every person in the same way.
“So, you know, the body reacts differently to these things depending on who you are,” Roberts added.
The longtime television journalist said he received four COVID vaccine doses altogether. Based on his account, his first case of pericarditis developed after his third dose, which was his first booster. After the condition eventually subsided, Roberts received another booster and said the inflammation returned.
Pericarditis involves inflammation of the pericardium, the thin protective sac surrounding the heart. The condition can cause sharp chest pain and other symptoms that may require medical evaluation.
Roberts’ latest comments are particularly notable given his well-documented history of cardiovascular problems. The Fox News anchor has openly discussed several heart-related health issues over the years, making clear that his medical history is more complicated than his recent experience with pericarditis alone.
In early 2022, Roberts underwent a significant cardiac procedure that resulted in doctors implanting a pacemaker. The procedure followed additional heart problems, including complications involving a stent that had previously been implanted.
Afterward, Roberts brought some humor to the frightening experience, joking that he had become “battery powered.” At the same time, he acknowledged that he had not been feeling well before doctors intervened.
Roberts has also spoken publicly about his battle with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a condition that can cause an irregular and sometimes rapid heartbeat.
In 2024, he revealed that he was receiving treatment at the Cleveland Clinic for what he described as “the intractable AFib that has plagued me since that whole ‘COVID thing.’”
Doctors later performed a cardiac ablation procedure. Roberts subsequently reported that the treatment had worked.
“One year ago today, I underwent ablation for the intractable AFib that has plagued me since that whole ‘COVID thing,’” Roberts wrote in a later update.
“Happy to report not a single episode since,” he added.
Roberts has previously been open about his decisions regarding COVID vaccination. Earlier in the pandemic, he publicly confirmed that he had received the vaccine and participated in efforts encouraging others to get vaccinated.
In 2021, Roberts also faced criticism after raising questions on social media about the long-term effectiveness of the vaccines following the death of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. He pushed back against suggestions that his comments meant he opposed vaccination, noting that he had been vaccinated himself and had participated in a public service announcement promoting vaccination. At the time, he also said he intended to receive a booster.
Roberts has additionally discussed symptoms he associated with long COVID, and those health concerns were among the factors he cited when explaining his decision to receive another vaccine dose.
His recent remarks should not be interpreted as establishing that every cardiovascular problem he has experienced was caused by COVID vaccination. Roberts has a separate and extensive history of heart disease and other cardiac complications.
Still, Roberts was direct about the timing of his pericarditis episodes. According to his own account, the condition first appeared after one booster, disappeared, and then returned with greater intensity following another dose.
For Roberts, the experience appears to have reinforced a broader point about individual medical responses.
“The body reacts differently to these things,” Roberts said, “depending on who you are.”
His comments add another personal account to the continuing discussion surrounding COVID vaccines, boosters, potential side effects, and the importance of recognizing that individual health histories can differ dramatically from one person to another.
