MOSCOW – The CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine, developed by China’s Sinovac, increases the risk of temporary paralysis of the facial nerves, according to a study by Hong Kong researchers published in The Lancet.
Scientists from the University of Hong Kong compared health reports collected from patients who got the first shot of the CoronaVac or BNT162b2 – Fosun-BioNTech, equivalent to Pfizer-BioNTech – vaccine within 42 days of the injection, with the baseline for the general population.
The study determined that there is a higher risk of developing temporary facial nerve palsy, also known as Bell’s palsy, in those vaccinated with CoronaVac, equivalent to an additional 4.8 cases per 100,000 people.
The number for those vaccinated with BNT162b2 is an additional two cases per 100,000 people, reported Sputnik.
“Our findings suggest an overall increased risk of Bell’s palsy after CoronaVac vaccination,” said the study.
However, the researchers noted that the benefits of the jab “far outweigh the risk of this generally self-limiting adverse event”.
In 90% of cases, Bell’s palsy can be cured within nine months, added the study.
The analysis covered the health data of 451,939 individuals who received CoronaVac and 537,205 who got BNT162b2 between February 23 and May 4.
Bell’s palsy causes sudden weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face, leading to a temporary loss of control of the muscles on the affected side. – AFP, August 18, 2021
