Elsevier

Vaccine

Volume 39, Issue 40, 24 September 2021, Pages 5729-5731
Vaccine

Short communication
Oropharyngeal shedding of herpesviruses before and after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination against COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.08.088Get rights and content

Highlights

  • BNT162b2 might be associated with increased incidence of Bell's palsy, herpes simplex and zoster.

  • Oropharyngeal samples before and 1 week after vaccination were tested for 7 herpesviruses.

  • No increase in herpesviruses shedding was seen after BNT162b2 vaccination.

Abstract

Introduction

Concerns were raised over an increase in Bell's palsy, herpes simplex and herpes zoster after BNT162b2 vaccination, all are manifestations of herpesviruses reactivation. As herpesviruses commonly reactivate in the oropharynx, we have hypothesized that oropharyngeal shedding of herpesviruses will increase after vaccination.

Methods

Immune-competent Adults, excluding those using topical steroids or manifesting symptomatic herpesvirus infection, were sampled before BNT162b2 vaccination and one week after. Herpesviruses 1–7 shedding was tested with a multiplexed PCR.

Results

In 103 paired samples the prevalence of herpesviruses was similar before and after vaccination: HSV1, 3.9% vs. 5.8% (p = 0.75); HSV2, 0% vs. 1% (p = not applicable, NA); VZV, 0% vs. 0% (p = NA); EBV, 14.6% vs. 17.5% (p = 0.63); CMV, 0% vs. 0% (p = NA); HHV6, 4.9% vs. 7.8% (p = 0.55); HHV7, 71.8% vs. 72.8% (p = 1); any herpesvirus, 73.8% vs. 74.8% (p = 1).

Discussion

We did not find evidence for increased oropharyngeal reactivation of herpesviruses one week after BNT162b2.

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccine
BNT162b2
Pfizer
BioNTech
Bell's palsy
Facial palsy
Herpes virus
Herpes simplex virus
Varicella zoster virus
Epstein Barr virus
Cytomegalovirus
Human herpes virus 6
Human herpes virus 7
Reactivation
Oropharyngeal shedding

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