Research letter
"Herpes zoster (HZ), which is reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), is associated with older age, use of immunomodulatory drugs, trauma, family history, and other comorbidities...
We performed a systematic search within PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for relevant publications from inception to November 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines... COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a significantly increased risk of HZ (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09-1.62, P = .006) compared with controls...
The mechanism underlying the link between COVID-19 vaccination and HZ remains elusive; however, vaccination-induced immunomodulation has been proposed. Vaccine-induced massive shift of CD8+ T cells and CD4+ helper T cells may cause temporary inability to suppress latent VZV."
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