COVID-19 Vaccination as a Trigger of IgA Vasculitis: A Global Pharmacovigilance Study

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) can occur after vaccination. We aimed to assess a potential safety signal on the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and IgAV.

Cases of IgAV involving COVID-19 vaccines were retrieved in VigiBase. Disproportionate reporting was assessed using the Bayesian information component (IC) with all other drugs and vaccines as control groups.

Three hundred thirty patients with de novo IgAV from 24 countries were included, mostly from the United States (193/330, 58%). Fifty percent (163/328) were female and median age was 32 years (IQR 15-59), of which 33% (84/254) were young (1-17 yrs). Median time to onset of IgAV was 7 days (IQR 2-16; n = 256) and 85% (280/330) of patients were vaccinated with mRNA vaccines. Seriousness was reported in 188/324 (58%) cases. Sixty-five percent (95/147) recovered and 1% (2/147) died. A positive rechallenge was reported for 3 of 4 patients (75%). A total of 996 cases of IgAV were identified with other vaccines. There was a small significant increase in IgAV reporting with COVID-19 vaccines compared with all other drugs (IC 0.22, 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.04 to 0.35). No disproportionality signal was found between COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines (IC -1.42, 95% CrI -1.60 to -1.28). There was no significant difference between mRNA vaccines and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines. Men and children had a significant overreporting of IgAV compared with women and adults, respectively.

This study provides reassuring results regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the occurrence of IgAV compared to other vaccines.