Cutaneous diseases developed following BNT162b2 and CoronaVac vaccines

Abstract

Although the safety of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccines was demonstrated in clinical trials, some adverse events were also reported after their routine use. In this study, the delayed cutaneous reactions that developed after BNT162b2 and CoronaVac vaccines are reported. The data of 25 patients who were followed up for late cutaneous adverse reactions after vaccination were compiled retrospectively. Cases with a history of infection or drug use were not included. The causality assessment of the cases was measured with the Naranjo algorithm. A total of 48% of the patients were female and 52% were male. The diseases detected were urticaria, leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), purpuric rash, Sweet’s syndrome (SS), lichenoid drug eruption (LDE), psoriasis, acneiform eruption and pigmented purpuric dermatosis (PPD). The trigger was BNT162b2 in 72% of the cases, and CoronaVac in 28%. The lesions appeared after the first dose in 64% of cases. The mean lesion onset duration was 9±5.8 days. According to Naranjo algorithm, all cases were in the “probable” range. No recurrence was detected after the repeat doses in any case whose trigger was BNT162b2. In PPD, LDE, and psoriasis cases whose trigger was CoronaVac, the symptoms increased after the booster doses, while there was no recurrence in other cases. Except for the cases of PPD, LDE, and psoriasis, very little therapeutic intervention was required and was self-limited in a short time. Although post-vaccine cutaneous reactions were heterogeneous, the most common late cutaneous reaction following BNT162b2 was found to be urticaria. Exacerbation of PPD, LDE, and psoriasis following CoronaVac repeat dose supported the causal association. Other cases who had repeated doses tolerated the vaccines very well.

Keywords

• Sweet’s syndrome
• psoriasis
• BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine
• COVID-19
• Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine
• adverse effect

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