"Search strategy: We reviewed available data regarding neurological complications (post-authorization) described following the World Health Organization–approved COVID-19 vaccination. We classified COVID-19 vaccination associated with neurological complications in two broad groups: (1) common but mild and (2) rare but severe. We searched PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar databases using the keywords 'COVID‐19' or 'SARS‐CoV‐2' and 'vaccination' or 'vaccine,' to identify all published reports on neurological complications of COVID‐19 vaccines. We in this review will focus on spectrum of published neurological adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. Last search was done on August 1, 2021 ...
Severe neurological adverse events: Serious adverse reaction following immunization is defined as a post-vaccination event that are either life-threatening, requires hospitalization, or result in severe disability. The World Health Organization listed Guillain-Barré syndrome, seizures, anaphylaxis, syncope, encephalitis, thrombocytopenia, vasculitis, and Bell’s palsy as serious neurologic adverse events. Instances of serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccinations are continuously pouring in the current scientific literature and are source of vaccine hesitancy in many persons ...
Cerebral vascular events: As a matter of concern, increasing number of reports about adenoviral vector vaccine-induced cerebral vascular adverse events, like cerebral venous thrombosis, arterial stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage, is getting published in leading medical journals. These reports are alarming as post-vaccination vascular events culminate either in severe disability or death. Vaccine-induced cerebral vascular adverse events are generally associated with severe immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia generally clinically manifests within 5 to 30 days after administration of adenovirus vector-based vaccines ...
Cerebral venous thrombosis: Cerebral venous thrombosis is the [sic] one of the most feared devastating COVID-19 vaccine-associated neurological complication. Cerebral venous thrombosis should be suspected in all vaccinated patients, who has persistent headache.
In Europe, since March 2021, cases of cerebral venous thrombosis started pouring in following COVID-19 vaccination, particularly after administration of viral vector based (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and the Johnson and Johnson Ad26. COV2.S) vaccines ...
Arterial events: Several acute arterial events, like arterial thrombosis, intracerebral hemorrhage, transient global amnesia, and spinal artery ischemia, have also been reported following vaccination...
Conclusion: Post-authorization, a wide spectrum of serious neurological complications has been reported following COVID-19 vaccination. The most devastating neurological complication is cerebral venous sinus thrombosis that has been reported in females of childbearing age following adenovector-based vaccines. Another major neurological complication of concern is Bell’s palsy that was reported dominantly following mRNA vaccine administration. Transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome are other severe unexpected post-vaccination complications that can occur as result of molecular mimicry and subsequent neuronal damage."
© Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia 2021
This article is made available via the PMC Open Access Subset for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.