Neurological adverse effects after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations: Etiology should be warranted

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has claimed a global health crisis of unpredictable amount. Due to its high mortality, many COVID-19 vaccines are being developed, approved, and manufactured rapidly. However, some serious neurological adverse events (AEs) were reported after the application of them. This review was conducted to collect and discuss published data about neurological side effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in order to discover type, frequency, treatment, and outcome of these side effects. The most frequent neurological side effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are headache, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), venous sinus thrombosis (VST), and transverse myelitis. Healthcare practitioners, particularly neurologists involved in the management of patients having undergone SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, should be aware of these side effects and should recognize them early and treat them significantly. Furthermore, some neurological conditions like headache and GBS are found in patients of COVID-19 infection and in patients after the SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Further studies should be warranted to differentiate the etiology.