BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study
Herpes zoster (HZ) results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus. Recent observations have suggested that HZ is associated with vaccination against COVID-19. To investigate the association between the vaccine and HZ severity, a single-centre, cross-sectional study of all patients diagno...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Medical Journals Sweden
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Acta Dermato-Venereologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/18389 |
| _version_ | 1797316426318479360 |
|---|---|
| author | Shir Azrielant Yair Levin Alon Peled Liat Samuelov Eli Sprecher Mor Pavlovsky |
| author_facet | Shir Azrielant Yair Levin Alon Peled Liat Samuelov Eli Sprecher Mor Pavlovsky |
| author_sort | Shir Azrielant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herpes zoster (HZ) results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus. Recent observations have suggested that HZ is associated with vaccination against COVID-19. To investigate the association between the vaccine and HZ severity, a single-centre, cross-sectional study of all patients diagnosed with HZ and 2 control diagnoses (cellulitis and bone fractures), between 2017 and 2021, was performed. Hospital visits and hospitalization rates were compared. All medical records of patients diagnosed with HZ in the first year after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began were reviewed, in order to generate a retrospective cohort comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with HZ. All participants had received the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine. During the study period, 2,413 patients were diagnosed with HZ, and when normalized to control diagnoses the number of cases remained stable. The retrospective cohort included 365 patients. A multivariate analysis controlling for sex, age, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, and immunosuppressive therapy showed higher admission rates in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated individuals (odds ratio (OR) 2.75, 95% CI 1.27–5.96, p = 0.01). However, matching techniques and stratification by age, used to better control for confounders, invalidated these findings. No differences were observed in other variables indicative of disease severity (hospital stay length and complications). In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccination was not found to be associated with an increased risk of HZ-related admission and complications.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:18:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0306a8429e542b987d0efb896260e6b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0001-5555 1651-2057 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:18:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Medical Journals Sweden |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Dermato-Venereologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0306a8429e542b987d0efb896260e6b2024-02-12T13:48:01ZengMedical Journals SwedenActa Dermato-Venereologica0001-55551651-20572024-02-0110410.2340/actadv.v104.18389BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional StudyShir Azrielant0Yair Levin1Alon Peled2Liat Samuelov3Eli Sprecher4Mor Pavlovsky5Division of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, IsraelDivision of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.Division of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelDivision of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelDivision of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelDivision of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, IsraelHerpes zoster (HZ) results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus. Recent observations have suggested that HZ is associated with vaccination against COVID-19. To investigate the association between the vaccine and HZ severity, a single-centre, cross-sectional study of all patients diagnosed with HZ and 2 control diagnoses (cellulitis and bone fractures), between 2017 and 2021, was performed. Hospital visits and hospitalization rates were compared. All medical records of patients diagnosed with HZ in the first year after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began were reviewed, in order to generate a retrospective cohort comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with HZ. All participants had received the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine. During the study period, 2,413 patients were diagnosed with HZ, and when normalized to control diagnoses the number of cases remained stable. The retrospective cohort included 365 patients. A multivariate analysis controlling for sex, age, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, and immunosuppressive therapy showed higher admission rates in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated individuals (odds ratio (OR) 2.75, 95% CI 1.27–5.96, p = 0.01). However, matching techniques and stratification by age, used to better control for confounders, invalidated these findings. No differences were observed in other variables indicative of disease severity (hospital stay length and complications). In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccination was not found to be associated with an increased risk of HZ-related admission and complications. https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/18389Herpes zosterCOVID-19Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine |
| spellingShingle | Shir Azrielant Yair Levin Alon Peled Liat Samuelov Eli Sprecher Mor Pavlovsky BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study Acta Dermato-Venereologica Herpes zoster COVID-19 Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine |
| title | BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full | BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study |
| title_short | BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study |
| title_sort | biontech covid 19 bnt162b2 vaccination and varicella zoster reactivation a comprehensive cross sectional study |
| topic | Herpes zoster COVID-19 Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine |
| url | https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/18389 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shirazrielant biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy AT yairlevin biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy AT alonpeled biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy AT liatsamuelov biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy AT elisprecher biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy AT morpavlovsky biontechcovid19bnt162b2vaccinationandvaricellazosterreactivationacomprehensivecrosssectionalstudy |