A report by the FDA presented to the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) detailed three occasions when vaccine recipients experienced swelling as a side effect. According to the report, two people had facial swelling. One participant had dermal fillers injected into their cheeks two weeks before getting the vaccine, and the other received the fillers six months before vaccination. The third person, who had received dermal filler injections in the lips, experienced lip angioedema (swelling) about two days after receiving the vaccine. STAT live-blogged the FDA’s meeting with the VRBPAC, during which FDA medical officer Rachel Zhang, MD, said all three of the cases were localized and the swelling was easily resolved after treatment with antihistamines or steroids. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. According to the FDA report, the woman who had lip angioedema said this was not the first time she had experienced it. In fact, she reported a similar reaction to the influenza vaccine in the past. In the FDA report, they acknowledged that this interaction has been noted before with other vaccinations. And for more on vaccine complications, This Is When You’re Most Likely to Feel Side Effects of the COVID Vaccine. According to the FDA, “It is possible the localized swelling in these cases is due to an inflammatory reaction from interaction between the immune response after vaccination and the dermal filler.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Allergist and immunologist Purvi Parikh, MD, explained to Health that “a filler is a foreign body and when your immune system is switching on due to the vaccine it would make sense that areas that have foreign bodies that aren’t normally in your body would also have inflammation—this is because your immune system is designed to counteract any foreign substance.” And for more vaccine news, learn The Real Reason President Trump Hasn’t Gotten the COVID Vaccine Yet. Plastic surgeon Amir Karam, MD, told NBC San Diego this potential side effect shouldn’t stand in the way of people getting the vaccine. He pointed out that the dermal filler-related reactions were easily remedied with medical attention and resolved quickly. And experts also say it’s not something you’re likely to experience. “This is a very rare side effect, and it’s very treatable with antihistamines and prednisone [a type of steroid],” board-certified dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD, told Health. And for side effects you’re more likely to face, The CDC Is Warning You to Prepare For These COVID Vaccine Side Effects.
