Four people in the United States who received the vaccine against COVID-19, produced by Pfizer, during clinical trials, have developed Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, informs Daily Mail. Fortunately, none of those who manifested this condition in the process had it for more than three weeks.
“The four cases in the vaccination group are not more frequent than expected in the general population,” the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in its report.
“The overall safety profile of this vaccine is similar to that of other commonly used vaccines. No vaccine is authorized for delivery in the UK until the expected safety, quality and efficacy standards have been met, ”said the British FDA counterpart. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Bell’s palsy usually goes away on its own within nine months or less, according to the NHS.
The condition is usually sudden, cannot be prevented and can be linked to herpes viruses, other viral infections, diabetes or stress.
„Like all medicines, the vaccine can cause side effects. Most of these are easy and short term and not everyone develops them. As with any vaccine or medicine, COVID-19 vaccines require continuous safety monitoring. This allows any new risks to be identified and steps can be taken to support safe and effective use, ”said an MHRA spokesman.
WHAT IS BELL’S PARALYSIS
The condition, which is usually temporary, causes the muscles on one side of the face to fall out due to nerves that no longer function properly. Four cases were reported in a group of 21,720 people who received the Pfizer vaccine in a US study, compared with none of the 21,728 people who received a placebo vaccine.
Of the four people who developed Bell’s palsy, one noted that facial paralysis occurred within three days of receiving the vaccine. But the volunteer’s face returned to normal about three days later.
A second person developed Bell’s palsy nine days after receiving the vaccine, and the other volunteers showed this condition at 37 and 48 days, respectively, after vaccination.
Bell’s palsy occurs suddenly and is alarmingly similar to a stroke. Most patients notice that part of their face begins to fall out and their facial muscles become weak. In rare cases, both sides of the face may become temporarily paralyzed.
Some people also become more sensitive to sound, usually in the ear corresponding to the side of the falling face. Others lose their sense of taste, suffer from headaches or develop pain around the jaw or ear of the affected part of the head.
Bell’s palsy is also known as acute peripheral facial paralysis of unknown cause.. Doctors have not yet discovered what causes it.
Every year, about 40,000 people in the United States develop Bell’s palsy.
In other words, about one in 60-70 people will have a paralyzed face at least once in their lifetime.
The condition is more common in pregnant women, especially during the third trimester or shortly after birth. People with diabetes are also more prone to Bell. Having an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold or flu, is also a risk factor.
According to some reports, inactivated viruses used in vaccines are thought to be a possible cause of Bell’s palsy. Some vaccines have used weakened or damaged – but live – versions of viruses to stimulate an immune response.
Investigations into Bell’s palsy related to vaccines for hepatitis B, DTAP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), herpes and several flu vaccines have concluded that vaccinations were not the main cause of Bell’s palsy.
The only exception was Nasalflu from Berne Biotech, a flu vaccine produced and sold in Switzerland. It was made with inactivated influenza virus and a form of E. coli (a bacterium commonly used to develop vaccines and pharmaceuticals).
But the vaccine used a certain E. coli toxin that scientists believe triggered inflammation and caused Bell’s palsy in some patients.
However, Bell’s palsy is unpredictable and common enough that it is unlikely to be caused by the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine., but FDA scientists have suggested that Pfizer may be forced to follow the data closely if more vaccine recipients develop temporary facial paralysis.
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