Facial nerve palsy following the administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines: analysis of a self-reporting database

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.08.071
• Publication Date: 2021-09-04T14:48:25Z
• Authors: Kenichiro Sato; Tatsuo Mano; Yoshiki Niimi; Tatsushi Toda; Atsushi Iwata; Takeshi Iwatsubo
• Keywords: Adult; COVID-19 Vaccines; Adolescent; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Article; facial nerve palsy; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Bell Palsy; Bell's palsy; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Humans; Paralysis; VAERS; RNA, Messenger; Pandemics; BNT162 Vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 3. Good health; Facial Nerve; mRNA vaccine; Influenza Vaccines; pharmacovigilance

Facial nerve palsy (or Bell's palsy) has occasionally been reported following the administration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273). Our study investigated such cases using a large self-reporting database from USA (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System [VAERS]).A disproportionality analysis, adjusted for age sex, was conducted VAERS reports individuals who were vaccinated at 18 years or over, between January 2010 April 2021.The analysis revealed that adverse events immunization (AEFI) facial palsy, after COVID-19 vaccines, significantly highly reported, both BNT162b2 (reporting odds ratio [ROR] 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.65-2.06) mRNA-1273 (ROR 1.54; CI 1.39-1.70). These levels comparable to influenza vaccination before pandemic 2.04; 1.76-2.36).Our pharmacovigilance results suggest incidence as non-serious AEFI may be lower than, equivalent to, vaccines. This information might value in context promoting worldwide vaccination, but needs validated future observational studies.