Dual Corneal-Graft Rejection after mRNA Vaccine (BNT162b2) for COVID-19 during the First Six Months of Follow-Up: Case Report, State of the Art and Ethical Concerns

Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Nov 3;9(11):1274. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9111274.

Abstract

Present mass vaccination against Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is the most widely used health policy and the most promising approach to curb the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic globally. However, new side effects are emerging from the mass vaccination not described during the experimental stages. In the present study, we discuss a case of acute corneal graft rejection, which has occurred 25 years after transplantation and 13 days after the administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine (Comirnaty, BioNTech/Pfizer), which was followed-up for a period of six months. In this period, the corneal inflammation appeared twice but was successfully managed with topical therapy and supplementation of Vitamin D. A risk of corneal graft rejection must be included in the list of potential vaccine complications, in order to inform the transplanted patient to undergo a preliminary and a follow-up ocular examination, and eventually to include corneal graft in the list of contraindications to vaccination.

Keywords: BNT162b2 vaccine; BNT162b2 vaccine side effect; COVID-19; COVID-19 immunomodulation; COVID-19 vaccines and corneal graft rejection; COVID-19 vaccines corneal graft; COVID-19 vaccines immunomodulation; COVID-19 vaccines side effects; COVID-19 vaccines transplant rejection; COVID-19 vaccines vitamin D.

Publication types

  • Case Reports