key: cord-0857967-vtjwtrb2 authors: May Lee, Marco; Macchi, Stefano; Mora, Edoardo; Feliciani, Claudio title: Potential risk factors for Varicella‐zoster virus reactivation after COVID‐19 vaccination date: 2022-02-25 journal: J Cosmet Dermatol DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14871 sha: 38904d27e54162c2b603a2d0abd87c1213f1f67d doc_id: 857967 cord_uid: vtjwtrb2 nan here, we want to make an update and find any potential clue to value the risk of VZV reactivation after COVID-19 vaccination. We analyzed 93 cases of VZV reactivation following the COVID-19 vaccine reported in literature. 1, 2, We decided to focus only on cases with enough information to allow for a correct risk assessment, for example, we did not include all the reports where age or sex were not present. There was no significant difference between males and females (44 men vs 49 women), and, in accordance with the previous observations, 3 Table 1 . As a possible explanation for the VZV reactivation, we support the hypothesis of an immunomodulation mechanism triggered by the vaccination with a consequent failure to maintain the virus controlled. 3 For example, some authors suggested a temporary inability of the VZV-specific CD81 + cells to control the virus, due to a shifting of naive CD81 cells. 4 According to these data, the risk of developing VZV reactivation after COVID-19 vaccination seems to be higher in patients who received mRNA vaccines, those who received the first dose rather than the second one and, to a lesser extent, those in the fifth or sixth decades of life. We know that the relationship between VZV reactivation and COVID-19 vaccination could be coincidental and, in this particular historical moment, vaccination remains the priority, as it represents our fundamental weapon against the pandemic; however, we think it is important to report this possible association to This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. Minimum 1 Maximum 38 the scientific community, as more and more evidence is emerging. In fact, identifying patients at risk would allow early antiviral therapy to be initiated and a better clinical course to be achieved. None. None declared. The authors confirm that the ethical policies of the journal, as noted on the journal's author guidelines page, have been adhered to. No ethical approval was required as this is a review article with no original research data. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Cutaneous reactions reported after Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination: a registry-based study of 414 cases Varicellazoster virus reactivation after SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination: report of 5 cases Varicella zoster virus reactivation and mRNA vaccines as a trigger Reactivation of Varicella Zoster virus after vaccination for SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines 20 Post-COVID-19 vaccine-related shingles cases seen at the Las Vegas Dermatology clinic and sent to us via social media A rare case of shingles after COVID-19 vaccine: is it a possible adverse effect? Herpes zoster after COVID-19 vaccine: a case report Ipsilateral Zoster Ophthalmicus Post COVID-19 Vaccine in Healthy Young Adults Side effects of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine: a randomized, crosssectional study with detailed self-reported symptoms from healthcare workers Herpes zoster reactivation after mRNA-1273 (Moderna) SARS-CoV-2 vaccination Herpes zoster following BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a case series Herpes zoster following COVID-19 vaccine: report of 3 cases Herpes Zoster Following COVID-19 Vaccination Ipsilateral herpes zoster after the first dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Herpes zoster following inactivated COVID-19 vaccine: A coexistence or coincidence? Herpes zoster emergence following mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Herpes zoster after inactivated COVID-19 vaccine: a cutaneous adverse effect of the vaccine Herpes zoster after COVID-19 vaccination-Can the vaccine reactivate latent zoster virus? Plantar herpes zoster following heterologous recombinant adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine Herpes zoster after COVID vaccination Herpes zoster infection following mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis Herpes Zoster Following Covaxin Receipt Herpes zoster ophthalmicus after COVID-19 vaccination: Chance occurrence or more? A narrative review and clinical anatomy of herpes zoster infection following COVID-19 vaccination Herpes zoster after inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in two healthy young adults Herpes zoster after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine: a case series Reactivation of herpes zoster after vaccination with an inactivated vaccine: A case report from Nepal Herpes Zoster following COVID-19 vaccination in long-term breast cancer survivors The Pfizer-BNT162b2 mRNAbased vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 may be responsible for awakening the latency of herpes varicella-zoster virus Oral Herpes Zoster infection following COVID-19 vaccination: a report of five cases Herpes simplex, herpes zoster and periorbital erythema flares after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: 4 cases Herpes Zoster following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination -a series of four cases Varicella-zoster virus reactivation causing herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination -report of three cases Recurrent herpes zoster after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic urticaria being treated with cyclosporine-A report of 3 cases Erythema nodosum, zoster duplex and pityriasis rosea as possible cutaneous adverse effects of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: report of three cases from India Herpes-like skin lesion after AstraZeneca vaccination for COVID-19: a case report Potential risk factors for Varicella-zoster virus reactivation after COVID-19 vaccination