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Review
. 2021 Sep 11;9(9):1013.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines9091013.

Varicella Zoster Virus Reactivation Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Konstantinos Katsikas Triantafyllidis  1   2 , Panagiotis Giannos  2   3 , Imran Tariq Mian  4 , George Kyrtsonis  5 , Konstantinos S Kechagias  2   6
Affiliations
Review

Varicella Zoster Virus Reactivation Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Konstantinos Katsikas Triantafyllidis et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

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.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; Varicella zoster virus; case reports; case series; coronavirus; herpes zoster; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prisma flowchart. IPD: Individual Patient Data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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