COVID-19 vaccination and a severe pain in the neck

Abstract

A 40-year-old woman developed malaise and severe anterior neck pain 12 hours after the second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech). The pain peaked and plateaued at the fourth post-vaccination day. Her GP prescribed ibuprofen and azithromycin for presumed bacterial pharyngitis, with no avail. She visited our endocrine clinic 26 days post-vaccination with ongoing symptoms including bony aches, exhaustion, emotional lability, palpitations and hyperhidrosis. Upon general examination she was haemodynamically stable but with significant neck tenderness (visual acuity score = 8/10).