Acute cervical dystonia following the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery Vol. 218; p. 107304
• Main Authors: Algahtani, Hussein A., Shirah, Bader H., Alwafi, Emad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: BNT162 Vaccine; BNT162b2 mRNA; Case Report; Cervical Dystonia; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - adverse effects; Dystonia; Family medical history; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Humans; Immunology; Medical research; Movement disorders; mRNA; Neck; Neurological complications; Pandemics; RNA, Messenger; SARS-CoV-2; Saudi Arabia; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Side effects; Torticollis - etiology; Vaccine; Vaccines; Viral Vaccines; COVID-19; Saudi Arabia; Vaccine; Cervical Dystonia; BNT162b2 mRNA
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107304

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2. Four major vaccine types are being used to fight against this deadly pandemic and save precious human lives. All types of vaccines have been associated with a risk of neurological complications ranging from mild to severe. Cervical dystonia occurring after a COVID-19 vaccine was not previously reported in the literature. In this article, we describe a case of acute cervical dystonia occurring after the first dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine. We attribute the occurrence of cervical dystonia to the vaccine due to the temporal relationship. This report adds to the literature a possible rare side effect of a COVID-19 vaccine and contributes to the limited literature on potential neurological side effects of mRNA-based vaccines. The likely mechanism is autoimmune. Further research is needed to probe and study the exact mechanism. •Cervical dystonia occurring after a COVID-19 vaccine was not previously reported in the literature.•We describe a case of acute cervical dystonia occurring after the first dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine.•This report adds to the literature a possible rare side effect of a COVID-19 vaccine.