Late-Induced Autoimmune Disorders Post-COVID-19 Vaccination/Infection: Case Report From Iran

COVID-19 pandemic led to a fast vaccine design due to the threat of rapid spreading worldwide. Safety profile of the approved vaccines has been achieved mostly through clinical trials. However, some unsolicited adverse events in a longer duration of time have been recorded in addition to the late disorders known as long-COVID, stemming from classical infection. Therefore, case studies and long-term follow-up are required to enrich the current data on SARS-COV-2 infection/vaccination. In this study, two cases of autoimmune diseases induced by COVID-19 and/or vaccination were followed in three years. The profile of each is presented, and the probable cause has been discussed. The laboratory findings approved systematic lupus erythematosus and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the studied cases. The key finding of this study is that the importance of probable autoimmune diseases flares up in individuals with a history of autoimmunity in their families which could manifest as a long-COVID symptom or late vaccination side effect.