Vertigo/dizziness following COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

PurposeThis study assessed the vertigo/dizziness in patients following COVID-19 vaccination. Patients and methodsFrom July 2021 to June 2022, totaling 50 patients with dizzy spells following COVID-19 vaccination by AZ (AstraZeneca-Oxford University, AZD1222), BNT (Pfizer-BioNTech, BNT162b2) or Moderna (Moderna, mRNA-1273) vaccine were enrolled in this study. The interval from vaccination to the onset of vertigo/dizziness was compared with inter-episodic interval of vertigo/dizziness in the same patients, but without vaccination, during past one year (2020). ResultsThe incidences of severe systemic complication per 106 shots were 0.86 for Moderna vaccine, 1.22 for AZ vaccine, and 1.23 for BNT vaccine. Conversely, rate of post-vaccination vertigo/dizziness was noted in the Moderna group (66 %), followed by the AZ group (20 %) and the BNT (14 %) group, meaning that type of COVID-19 vaccine may affect various organ systems. The median time to the onset of vertigo/dizziness following vaccination is 10d, which is consistent with the onset of IgG production, and significantly less than inter-episodic interval (84d) in the same patients without vaccination. ConclusionPost-vaccination vertigo/dizziness can manifest as exacerbation of previous neurotological disorder. The median time to the onset of vertigo/dizziness following COVID-19 vaccination is 10d. Since the outcome is fair after supportive treatment, the immunomodulatory effect of the vaccines does not undermine the necessity of the COVID-19 vaccination.