Bell’s Palsy, an Adverse Event Following COVID Vaccines

Document Type : Systematic Review

Authors

1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

2 Department of Pediatrics and child health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

3 Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.

10.22038/ijorl.2024.69721.3364

Abstract

Introduction:
Bell’s palsy is one of the most concerning complications of the COVID vaccine that has impacted vaccine acceptance among the general population. These vaccines were introduced to provide immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and have been found to be quite effective. Little did we know that Bell’s palsy could be one of its serious complications.
Materials and Methods:
We used various search engines to gather data in the form of a case series and case reports related to patients who were affected by the vaccine and had developed Bell’s palsy.
Results:
A total of eleven case reports and 4 case series were included in the analysis. The vaccines mentioned in the case reports were Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Janssen, while the case series included Pfizer and Sinovac. The majority of patients were female and aged between 31-40 years. Right-sided laterality was observed in 45.45% of patients, left-sided laterality in 45.45% of patients, and bilateral laterality in 9.1% of patients. Three patients had a history of Bell’s palsy or stroke. After treatment, three patients showed partial improvement, six patients fully recovered, and the status of two patients was unknown.
Conclusions:
Bell's palsy is a rare complication that can occur after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This review aims to increase awareness about this rare adverse event of the vaccine so that it can be properly addressed and managed. Additionally, it will serve as a foundation for future research on the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Volume 36, Issue 4
July and August 2024
Pages 527-535

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