More than 20 percent of Israel’s 9.2 million population has received received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine and 13 people experienced temporary Bell’s palsy — a condition that causes weakness or paralysis of muscles in the face.
As of Jan. 15, 170,000 Israelis had been given a second shot of the coronavirus vaccine. Initial studies showed that recipients were likely to suffer minor discomfort and pain, but no significant side effects, Times of Israel reported.
In the U.S. by comparison, more than 11.1 million people or 3 percent of the population received initial doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as of Jan. 14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During testing trials for the Pfizer vaccine, there were four cases of Bell’s palsy in the vaccinated group and none among the placebo group, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration reported on Dec. 10, according to USA Today.
Symptoms appeared at different points in testing, according to a 53-page briefing from a discussion on the U.S.’s emergency use authorization of the vaccine. For one participant, the facial weakness or paralysis occurred three days after the vaccination but resolved within three days. For the other three, symptoms appeared at nine, 37 and 48 days following vaccination and lasted for about 10, 15 and 21 days, respectively.
The annual rate of incidence for Bell’s palsy is around 23 cases per 100,000 people or 15-to-20 per 100,000 people, according to some population studies. The four cases among the trial’s 38,000 participants computes to 11 cases per 100,000 people, according to the briefing.
The trial concluded that the Pfizer vaccine did not cause Bell’s palsy — there was “no clear basis upon which to conclude a causal relationship.”
In Israel, the Health Ministry reported that the number of Bell’s palsy cases could be higher than the 13 reported and questioned whether or not to administer a second dose to those who were affected. The Health Ministry is recommending that the second dose be given, according to the Jerusalem Post.
One person who experienced the facial paralysis side effect told YNet, “For at least 28 hours I walked around with it (facial paralysis). I can’t say it was completely gone afterwards, but other than that I had no other pains, except a minor pain where the injection was, but there was nothing beyond that.”
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Despite the OK from the Israel Ministry of Health, not all Israeli medical professionals are comfortable with giving a second dose to people who experienced the side effect.
Prof. Galia Rahav, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center told Ynet, “No one knows if this is connected to the vaccine or not. I would refrain from giving a second dose to someone who suffered from paralysis after the first dose.”
The CDC said in December that it would monitor vaccine recipients for Bell’s palsy but said the covid-19 vaccines don’t appear to cause the condition, according to CNBC. The FDA also said it will track data on facial paralysis cases as vaccines are administered to patients, WebMD reported.
There are no known reports of Bell’s palsy showing up as a side effect among covid vaccine recipients in the U.S. population at large.
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