Covid-19 vaccination and possible link to Herpes zoster

Abstract

Purpose: To report 3 otherwise healthy patients with Herpes zoster reactivation shortly after administration of a mRNA vaccine against the novel COVID-19 virus. Observations: Patient 1 is a 54 year old who presented with Herpes zoster meningitis complicated by enhancing nodular leptomeningeal lesions of the spinal cord. The subsequent two patients had Herpes zoster ophthalmicus of the cornea (Case 2) and eyelid (Case 3). All three presented within 2 weeks of receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Herpes zoster may be a side effect of m RNA vaccination against the Sars-CoV2 vaccine and requires further investigation.

Keywords

• Herpes zoster
• COVID-19 mRNA vaccine
• Vaccination
• Adverse reactions