Varicella zoster virus reactivation following COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review of case reports
File(s)vaccines-09-01013-v2.pdf (605.83 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Kechagias, Konstantinos
Giannos, Panagiotis
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The newly developed COVID-19 vaccines have established a safe profile, yet some individuals experience a wide range of adverse events. Recently, reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) has been observed after administration of different COVID-19 vaccines, although causality remains a matter of debate. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the available literature and provide an overview of reported cases of VZV reactivation following COVID-19 vaccination. We identified 12 eligible articles which included 91 patients with herpes zoster (HZ) following COVID-19 vaccination. Hypertension was the main comorbidity present in 18% of patients (16/91). Additionally, 13% of patients (12/91) had an autoimmune condition with rheumatoid arthritis being the most common (4/12). Moreover, 10% of patients (9/91) were receiving immunosuppressants. The dermatomal distribution of skin lesions varied among patients, with the mammary region being most affected. On average, symptoms developed 5.8 days post-vaccination irrespective of dose and treatment with oral valacyclovir as a monotherapy was employed in most patients (23/91). HZ is possibly a condition clinicians may expect to encounter in patients receiving COVID-19 vaccines. While causality has not yet been established increased awareness and early recognition of the disorder would be crucial for the optimal management of these patients.
Date Issued
2021-09-11
Date Acceptance
2021-09-05
Citation
Vaccines, 2021, 9 (9), pp.1-12
ISSN
2076-393X
Publisher
MDPI AG
Start Page
1
End Page
12
Journal / Book Title
Vaccines
Volume
9
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2021 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Identifier
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/9/1013
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-09-11