Key result
Administration of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 was associated with a higher risk of Bell's palsy compared to no vaccination, with BNT162b2 carrying a higher risk than mRNA-1273.
Why the study?
Neurological complications after COVID-19 vaccination are rare but might cause long-term morbidity, prompting this evaluation of peripheral nervous system adverse events after mRNA vaccination.
Do mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 increase the risk of peripheral nervous system adverse events compared to no vaccination?
Systematic Review
Do mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 increase the risk of peripheral nervous system adverse events compared to no vaccination?
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, particularly BNT162b2, are associated with an increased risk of Bell's palsy compared to unvaccinated individuals and the mRNA-1273 vaccine.
Alerts clinicians to monitor Bell's palsy after BNT162b2; extends differential mRNA vaccine safety data but leaves GBS causality open.
Although neurological complications after the administration of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are rare, they might result in long-term morbidity. This study was designed to determine the risk of peripheral nervous system (PNS) adverse events after the administration of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were systematically searched in databases, and 15 cohort studies were included in the synthesis. Among all PNS adverse events, only Bell's palsy and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) had sufficient data and were included for further analysis. Individuals who received mRNA vaccines had a higher risk of Bell's palsy than the unvaccinated group, and the risk of Bell's palsy after BNT162b2 was significantly higher than after mRNA-1273. Regarding GBS, no significant difference in the risk was observed between BNT162b2 and the unvaccinated group, but BNT126b2 introduced a higher risk of post-vaccinated GBS than mRNA-1273. In conclusion, PNS adverse events, especially Bell's palsy, should be carefully observed after mRNA vaccination against COVID-19. With the opportunity of vaccination campaigns on such a large scale, further investigation and surveillance of post-vaccination neurological adverse events should also be established.
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Lai et al. (2022) conducted a systematic review in Peripheral nervous system adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination. mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 vs. Unvaccinated group was evaluated on Peripheral nervous system adverse events (Bell's palsy and Guillain-Barré syndrome). Administration of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 was associated with a higher risk of Bell's palsy compared to no vaccination, with BNT162b2 carrying a higher risk than mRNA-1273.
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