A Study of COVID-19 Vaccine (Covishield) Induced Dermatological Adverse Effects from India

The study conducted in India examined the dermatological adverse effects of the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 4063 individuals were vaccinated with Covishield between September 2021 and November 2021, with 63% of them being males. The age range of those vaccinated was between 19 and 86 years, with a mean age of 36.7 years. Out of these, 50 (1.23%) patients reported adverse cutaneous reactions to the vaccines. One patient developed anaphylaxis after the first dose of the vaccine. Eighteen (36%) reported excessive hair fall starting from as early as 5 weeks after the first dose of the vaccine and were diagnosed to have telogen effluvium. Twelve (24%) patients developed wheals, most of them on the same day of the first dose of the vaccine. Other adverse effects included generalized pruritus, maculo-papular rash, lichen planus, pityriasis rosea, eruptive pseudoangiomatosis, herpes simplex labialis, pemphigus vulgaris, and post-vaccine cheiro-pedo pompholyx. The study is limited to a population sample receiving Covishield vaccine in India, and the findings cannot be extrapolated to other COVID-19 vaccines available worldwide. More studies with larger sample size with longer follow-up periods are needed to further elucidate the dermatological adverse reaction of COVID-19 vaccines.