Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease following mRNA-1273 (Moderna) COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease following mRNA-1273 (Moderna) COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 50-year-old Korean woman developed bilateral serous retinal detachment 35 days after the first dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination (mRNA-1273, Moderna). She experienced adverse effects such as erythema and pain at the injection site, headache, myalgia, and allergy symptoms prior to ocular manifestation. She was diagnosed with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. After treatment with oral prednisolone, the serous retinal detachment resolved and vision improved.

Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination might be associated with VKH disease development, and the ingredients of the mRNA vaccine or viral peptide encoded by mRNA may have activated the immunological process and induced VKH disease.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; mRNA-1273 (moderna); vaccine side effects; vogt-koyanagi-harada disease.