Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports
BackgroundOral adverse events (AEs) following COVID-19 vaccination have been sporadically reported during the previous months, warranting further investigation for their prevalence and suspected relationship with vaccine-elicited immune response.MethodsA retrospective analysis using the Vaccine Adve...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.952781/full |
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| author | Abanoub Riad Ave Põld Elham Kateeb Elham Kateeb Sameh Attia |
| author_facet | Abanoub Riad Ave Põld Elham Kateeb Elham Kateeb Sameh Attia |
| author_sort | Abanoub Riad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundOral adverse events (AEs) following COVID-19 vaccination have been sporadically reported during the previous months, warranting further investigation for their prevalence and suspected relationship with vaccine-elicited immune response.MethodsA retrospective analysis using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data was conducted to evaluate AEs within the oral cavity (mucosa, tongue, lips, palate, dentition, salivary glands) and AEs involving taste and other sensations. Oral AEs reported after receiving COVID-19 vaccination (test group) and seasonal influenza vaccination (control group) were extracted and cross-tabulated to assess their relative prevalence.ResultsAmong the 128 solicited (suspected) oral AEs, oral paresthesia (0.872%) was most reported after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, followed by the swelling of lips (0.844%), ageusia (0.722%), oral hypoesthesia (0.648%), swollen tongue (0.628%), and dysgeusia (0.617%). The reported prevalence of oral AEs was higher in the COVID-19 vaccine group than in the seasonal influenza group. The distribution pattern of the most reported oral AEs was similar for both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Female sex, older age (>39 years old), primer doses, and mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines exhibited a higher reported prevalence of oral AEs.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this study, COVID-19 vaccines were found to be associated with rare oral AEs that are predominantly similar to those emerging following seasonal influenza vaccines. The most commonly reported oral AEs were oral paraesthesia (mouth-tingling), lip swelling, and ageusia, representing various pathophysiologic pathways that remain unclear. Taste-related AEs should be acknowledged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public should be adequately informed about a potential taste dysfunction after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Dentists and dental teams need to be aware of the prevalence, severity, and prognosis of oral AEs to inform their patients and increase public confidence in vaccines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:17:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75d8e09f00a24172a8ff15b9f062b47e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:17:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-75d8e09f00a24172a8ff15b9f062b47e2022-12-22T03:42:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-07-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.952781952781Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS ReportsAbanoub Riad0Ave Põld1Elham Kateeb2Elham Kateeb3Sameh Attia4Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, CzechiaDepartment of Oral, Dental and Maxillofacial Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyOral Health Research and Promotion Unit, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, PalestinePublic Policy Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United StatesDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, GermanyBackgroundOral adverse events (AEs) following COVID-19 vaccination have been sporadically reported during the previous months, warranting further investigation for their prevalence and suspected relationship with vaccine-elicited immune response.MethodsA retrospective analysis using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data was conducted to evaluate AEs within the oral cavity (mucosa, tongue, lips, palate, dentition, salivary glands) and AEs involving taste and other sensations. Oral AEs reported after receiving COVID-19 vaccination (test group) and seasonal influenza vaccination (control group) were extracted and cross-tabulated to assess their relative prevalence.ResultsAmong the 128 solicited (suspected) oral AEs, oral paresthesia (0.872%) was most reported after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, followed by the swelling of lips (0.844%), ageusia (0.722%), oral hypoesthesia (0.648%), swollen tongue (0.628%), and dysgeusia (0.617%). The reported prevalence of oral AEs was higher in the COVID-19 vaccine group than in the seasonal influenza group. The distribution pattern of the most reported oral AEs was similar for both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Female sex, older age (>39 years old), primer doses, and mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines exhibited a higher reported prevalence of oral AEs.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this study, COVID-19 vaccines were found to be associated with rare oral AEs that are predominantly similar to those emerging following seasonal influenza vaccines. The most commonly reported oral AEs were oral paraesthesia (mouth-tingling), lip swelling, and ageusia, representing various pathophysiologic pathways that remain unclear. Taste-related AEs should be acknowledged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public should be adequately informed about a potential taste dysfunction after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Dentists and dental teams need to be aware of the prevalence, severity, and prognosis of oral AEs to inform their patients and increase public confidence in vaccines.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.952781/fullanaphylaxisCOVID-19 vaccinesdrug-related side effects and adverse reactionsoral manifestationspharmacovigilance oral adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination 2 |
| spellingShingle | Abanoub Riad Ave Põld Elham Kateeb Elham Kateeb Sameh Attia Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports Frontiers in Public Health anaphylaxis COVID-19 vaccines drug-related side effects and adverse reactions oral manifestations pharmacovigilance oral adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination 2 |
| title | Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports |
| title_full | Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports |
| title_fullStr | Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports |
| title_short | Oral Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of VAERS Reports |
| title_sort | oral adverse events following covid 19 vaccination analysis of vaers reports |
| topic | anaphylaxis COVID-19 vaccines drug-related side effects and adverse reactions oral manifestations pharmacovigilance oral adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination 2 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.952781/full |
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