Introduction
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contributed to a worldwide crisis
causing major morbidity and mortality as well as devastating economic
and social consequences. As for previous infectious diseases,
vaccination is considered vital to control the COVID-19 pandemic. With
unprecedented speed, several vaccines were developed and licensed
internationally. By July 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approved two mRNA-based vaccines: mRNA1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2
(BioNTech/Pfizer); and one recombinant vector-based vaccine: adenovirus
type 26 vector Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson&Johnson). In addition
to previous vaccines, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also approved
the recombinant chimpanzee adenoviral vector vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
(Vaxzevria /previously COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca).
Several surveys have discovered various systematic, focal, and
organ-specific adverse effects resulting from different vaccines(1)(2).
Among several side effects of vaccines, concerns about unusual
thrombotic events following COVID-19 vaccination with AstraZeneca
started to grow early in March 2021. Several researchers from Norway(3),
Germany(4), and United Kingdom(5) reported a group of patients who had
been admitted within three weeks of AstraZeneca vaccine inoculation with
thrombocytopenia and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). In terms
of neurological adverse effects, headache, decrease in mental attention,
paralysis or weakness of extremities, dizziness, paraesthesia, and
numbness were the most prevalent ones(1)(6). Complaints such as loss of
consciousness, seizures, and facial weakness were rare, though(1). Skin
manifestation of COVID-19 vaccination ranged wide spectrum including
chilblain‐like, urticarial, vesicular, maculopapular, livedoid and
vasculitic lesions(7)(8). Thus, it seems that COVID-19 vaccines’ have a
wide spectrum of adverse effects and further investigations are needed
to help clinicians for better diagnosis and management.
The current paper aims to report three post-AstraZeneca COVID-19
vaccination events causing hospitalization, including encephalopathy,
CVST, and Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis (LCV).