Nervous and muscular adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review and meta- analysis of clinical trials

On 23 August, a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on the incidence of nervous and muscular adverse events (NMAEs) after COVID-19 vaccination, through 2 June 2021, was published. In 15 Phase 1/2 trials identified, NMAEs occurred in 29.2% of vaccinated participants, versus 21.6% in controls (p <0.001), with headache and myalgia being the most frequent NMAEs.  In four open-label trials, the incidence of headache, myalgia, and unsolicited NMAEs was 38.7%, 27.4%, and 1.5%, respectively. Following vaccination in Phase 3 trials, headache and myalgia were still common, with a rate of 29.5% and 19.2%, although the unsolicited NMAEs, with incidence rates of ≤ 0.7%, were not different from the control group in each study. The study concluded that after vaccination, NMAEs are common, with headache and myalgia comprising a considerable proportion of events, although lifethreatening unsolicited events are rare. The authors suggest that NMAEs should be continuously monitored during the ongoing global COVID-19 vaccination program.

Source: Chen J, Cai Y, Chen Y, et al. Nervous and Muscular Adverse Events after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.  Vaccines, 2021, 9(8), 939. Doi:10.3390/vaccines9080939.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/8/939