COVID-19 vaccination in patients with epilepsy: First experiences in a German tertiary epilepsy center

Abstract

Introduction Due to the high demand for information regarding COVID-19 vaccination in people with epilepsy (PWE), we assessed the symptoms and seizure control of PWE following their COVID-19 vaccination. Methods All adult patients who were treated at our center were asked to report on their vaccination status and, if vaccinated, about their experiences following their first COVID-19 vaccination with regard to adverse effects and seizure control. Results Fifty-four PWE have already received their first vaccination against COVID-19 (27 female, 20% seizure free, 96<% on antiseizure medication) and were included in the study. Two-thirds tolerated the vaccines generally either very well or well. Thirty-three percent reported general vaccination adverse effects. The most frequently reported general adverse effects were, in descending order, headache, fatigue and fever, and shivering. With regard to epilepsy-related adverse effects, one patient reported increased seizure frequency one day after the first COVID-19 vaccination was administered, and one reported the occurrence of a new seizure type. None of the patients reported a status epilepticus or aggravation of preexisting adverse effects. Conclusions Our data suggest that vaccination against COVID-19 appears to be well tolerated in PWE, supporting the recommendation of vaccination to PWE.

Attitudes to Being Vaccinated Against COVID-19: A Survey of People With Epilepsy in China

“…In their study, only 6.1% of the vaccinated group had seizure worsening; they reported a patient who had seizure worsening experience (status epilepticus) within the last 3 months before the vaccination who had a fever for 3 days post-vaccination ( 28 ). Another study of 54 PWE in a German tertiary epilepsy center found that vaccination against COVID-19 appeared to be well-tolerated, supporting the recommendation of vaccination to PWE ( 29 ). However, more extensive and long-term studies are needed to evaluate the long-term safety of the different vaccines.…”

Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for people with epilepsy? A cross-sectional study

“…The mean age of our patients was 32.47 years ( SD = 12.76). It is lower than that of European peers, which was 47.9 ( SD = 20.1) in a tertiary center in Germany and 48.2 ( SD = 19.8) in a tertiary center in Spain [ 14 , 15 ]. The demographic structure of the Turkish population can explain this difference.…”

“…The majority of the patients in our study sample had generalized epilepsy. The distribution of epilepsy types may vary among centers [ 3 , 14 , 15 ]. The drug-resistant epilepsy rate was 19.1% in our patients, similar to the literature rates [ 18 ].…”

“…Our study’s rate of having a systemic adverse event is lower than that of the clinical trial of the vaccines and community-based studies [ 5 , 6 , 19 ]. A cross-sectional study conducted with PWE in Germany found a rate of having a systemic adverse event of 33% [ 14 ]. In our study, the patients were questioned retrospectively about adverse events; recall bias can explain the difference for both local adverse events and systemic adverse events.…”

Epilepsy and COVID-19: Recent Findings and Considerations

“…53 그러나 실제 COVID-19 백신 접종을 한 환자를 대상으로 한 연구에서 1차 접종을 한 54명 뇌전증 환자(18세 이상) 중 1명만 이 발작이 악화되었고, 30% 정도에서 두통, 피로, 발열 등 일반 적 인 백 신 부작 용 만 이 있었 다. 54 다 른 설 문 연구 에 서 는 COVID-19 백신을 맞은 82명의 뇌전증 환자(16세 이상) 중 5명 (6.1%)만이 발작 빈도가 증가했다고 응답하였다. 55…”