COVID vaccination and asthma exacerbation: might there be a link?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

There is ongoing debate regarding the role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in asthma exacerbation, and its long-term impact on the lung function of individuals with asthma. In contrast, the potential impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on asthma is entirely unexplored.

CASE STUDY:

This study examined a challenging case of severe asthma exacerbation in a 28-year-old female following two doses of the mRNA-based vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) at IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, Italy. The patient, a fourth-year resident at the hospital, was vaccinated in early 2021. She was an occasional smoker with a 10-year history of asthma and seasonal allergic rhinitis. She tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 on several molecular swabs and serology tests.

RESULTS:

After receiving the second dose of vaccine, the patient started to experience worsening of respiratory symptoms. Following several episodes and a severe asthma attack, the patient required treatment with mepolizumab, a biologic drug (interleukin-5) antagonist monoclonal antibody.

CONCLUSION:

This single case study is insufficient to draw conclusions about the association between asthma exacerbation and the COVID-19 vaccine. While the cause-effect link between vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and worsening of asthmatic disease might only be suggested at present, this case is a valuable prompt for further investigation. This is particularly true from the perspective of mass vaccination of adolescents and children currently underway across the globe.

• Authors: Marta Colaneri, Maria De Filippo, Amelia Licari, Alessia Marseglia, Laura Maiocchi, Alessandra Ricciardi, Angelo Corsico, Gianluigi Marseglia, Mario Umberto Mondelli, Raffaele Bruno
• Journal: International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (Int J Infect Dis) Vol. 112 Pg. 243-246 (Nov 2021) ISSN: 1878-3511 [Electronic] Canada
• PMID: 34547487 (Publication Type: Case Reports)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• COVID-19 Vaccines

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Asthma
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Child
• Female
• Humans
• SARS-CoV-2
• Vaccination