Here is a new side effect from the Covid vaccines, or at least a “trigger” in some patients, herpes. Gasp! What will mum think, and will she believe me when I tell her I got it from the vaccine, not the public toilet seat?!
“A new study published this month by researchers from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Carmel Medical Center in Haifa found that the risk of developing herpes zoster (HZ) infection following a coronavirus vaccinationin people with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) increases.
“We cannot say the vaccine is the cause at this point,” lead researcher Dr. Victoria Furer of the hospital’s Department of Rheumatology told The Jerusalem Post. “We can say it might be a trigger in some patients.”
HZ is characterized by a small, red rash that develops on the skin and itches. If complications develop, it can cause nerve damage and pain, including a prolonged burning session on the skin even after it goes away.
The study was carried out on 491 patients with AIIRD and 99 controls at the hospitals. Of the 491 patients, 1.2% or six people developed HZ. Five of them got the herpes infection after the first dose and one after the second.
Furer said that five of the six patients who developed HZ were young, had mild cases of autoimmune disease and were taking little if any medications for it, which means they should not have been at increased risk for developing HZ.
“That is why we reported on it,” she said.
HZ tends to develop more in people over the age of 50.”