Analysis of new-onset seizures following use of COVID-19 vaccinations in children based on VAERS

ABSTRACT

Background

Recently, there have been some reports of seizures related with COVID-19 vaccinations. However, no studies have systematically investigated the relationship between seizures and various COVID-19 vaccines.

Research design and methods

This research aimed to analyze the characteristics and risk signals of new-onset seizures in children caused by various COVID-19 vaccines based on the data of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). To identify potential risk signals, a disproportionality analysis was conducted. The reporting odds ratio (ROR) and the Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) were used to detect signals.

Results

A total of 695 children with new-onset seizures events associated with COVID-19 vaccinations were retrieved from the VAERS database. Compared with influenza vaccinations, the percentage and rate of COVID-19 vaccinations related seizures was all reduced. The median onset time of seizures was 1 day after COVID-19 vaccines. No signal was detected for an association between the COVID-19 vaccines and new-onset seizures, neither when compared with influenza vaccines nor with non-COVID-19 vaccines.

Conclusion

No statistically significant risk signal of COVID-19 vaccine-related seizures was found in this study. However, it is still necessary to monitor the possibility of new-onset seizures when children are immunized with COVID-19 vaccines.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• vaccination
• AEs
• VAERS data
• seizures

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contribution

Y Liu: Made a significant contribution to the article in the study design、data analysis、the article writing and the revision of article.

J He: Made a significant contribution to the article in the acquisition of data and data analysis.

X Zhou: Made a significant contribution to the article in the study design.

Y Wu: Made a significant contribution to the article in the study design.

H Cai: Made a significant contribution to the article in the revision of article.

Y Sun: Made a significant contribution to the article in the acquisition of data and revision of article.

X Cui: Made a significant contribution to the article in the study design and the revision of article.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2024.2348568

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.