Vaccinations and Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract

Vaccines represent one of the most effective measures of public health medicine, saving countless lives and preventing lifelong disabilities. Vaccines are extremely safe, however, no vaccine is completely free from risks and adverse events can occur following vaccination. An adverse event following immunization (AEFI) may be a true adverse reaction caused by the vaccine or an event that temporally occurred after immunization but is not caused by it. Among the adverse reactions to vaccines, one of the most feared is the triggering of autoimmune diseases, which are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by dysregulation of the immune system. Currently, no mechanisms have been demonstrated that could explain the correlation between vaccination and the development of autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, epidemiological studies do not support the hypothesis that vaccines cause systemic autoimmune diseases. The only confirmed associations, although very rare, are those between the flu vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome, especially with old vaccine preparations, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and thrombocytopenia. Due to the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, new types of vaccines have been developed and are now available. Close vaccine safety-surveillance is currently underway for these new vaccines.

Thyrotoxicosis following SARS-COV-2 vaccination: a case series and discussion

“…In this context, it is worth mentioning that at low rates and despite that case–control studies are still scarce, HPV vaccine has been related to primary ovarian failure [ 23 ] and to Guillain-Barré Syndrome [ 24 ], albeit not implying a causal association. The difficulty in proving a causal relationship between the clinical manifestations of the diseases and the use of adjuvants in vaccines should be noted since several studies do not confirm the role of adjuvants in the development of autoimmune diseases [ 25 ].…”

“…In addition to this, it is noteworthy that following World Health Organization Immunization Safety Surveillance guidelines, an adverse event following immunization (AEFI) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization, which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine [ 27 ]. Therefore, it is important to point out that thyroid disorders following COVID-19 vaccination represent a clinical event with a reasonable time relationship to vaccine administration, but that does not imply a cause-effect relationship [ 25 ].…”

Graves Disease Following the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: Case Series

“… 11 However, there is no definitive mechanistic explanation for autoimmune disease developing after vaccination and epidemiological studies to date do not support the hypothesis of adjuvant-induced autoimmune disease. 12 …”

Frequently Asked Questions in Patients With Adrenal Insufficiency in the Time of COVID-19

“…Autoimmune diseases are multifactorial: the concomitant presence of genetic, epigenetic, exogenous and endogenous factors is required for their development (58).…”

“…Patients with isolated autoimmune AD or with polyglandular diseases ask if they are at increased risk of developing new autoimmune disease after COVID-19 infection or after vaccination against COV-19. Patients affected by one or more autoimmune diseases are at risk to develop other autoimmune diseases (58). In addition, it is important to remember that COVID-19 infection can induce autoimmune diseases in the general population.…”