[Influenza vaccination and skin disease--coincidence or causal association?]

Influenza remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; therefore, vaccination of risk groups is recommended by health authorities in many countries of the world. Vaccination against influenza has been implicated occasionally induce or trigger skin diseases. We review the literature and present data from the German registry for vaccination-associated adverse effects at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut. In addition to local reactions at the injection site, exanthema, urticaria and anaphylactic reactions to vaccine components, vasculitis has been documented to be likely induced or triggered by influenza vaccination. Other skin diseases do not appear to be associated with vaccination to influenza. Overall, the risk of vaccination-associated skin disease is very low and is not a reason to avoid of influenza vaccination.