Frontiers in Medicine (Jan 2023)

Autoimmune blistering skin diseases triggered by COVID-19 vaccinations: An Australian case series

  • Timothy L. Cowan,
  • Timothy L. Cowan,
  • Cheng Huang,
  • Cheng Huang,
  • Dédée F. Murrell,
  • Dédée F. Murrell

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.1117176
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Autoimmune blistering skin diseases (AIBD) can be induced or flared by a multitude of sources, however, there have been some reports suggesting that this occurrence is due to COVID-19 vaccinations. At a single academic blistering disease centre in Sydney, Australia, a retrospective review was conducted, identifying 59 patients with AIBD seen between February 2021 and November 2022. Secondary to recent COVID-19 vaccination, four patients had induction of bullous pemphigoid, three patients had a flare of pre-existing bullous pemphigoid, one patient had induction of pemphigus, and two patients had a flare of pre-existing pemphigus vulgaris. This adds to our understanding of the role of vaccinations in the activity of AIBD.

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