In a recent study with 18,544 participants, Göbel et al. investigated headaches following COVID-19 vaccinations. The headaches occurred at different times and with varying intensity depending on the vaccine. On average, headaches began 12 hours after vaccination and lasted approximately 23 hours. Particularly rapid onset of headaches was observed with Sputnik V (17 hours), while the mRNA vaccines Comirnaty (26 hours) and Spikevax (22 hours) took effect later. Spikevax caused more severe headaches, while Vaxzevria was more frequently associated with complex accompanying symptoms.
The results help to better distinguish headaches after vaccinations from other, potentially dangerous causes such as thrombosis. Based on the data, new diagnostic criteria for post-vaccination headaches can be developed.
Göbel, CH, Heinze, A., Heinze-Kuhn, K., Karstedt, S., Morscheck, M., Tashiro, L., Cirkel, A., Hamid, Q., Halwani, R., Temsah, M.-H., Ziemann, M., Görg, S., Münte, T., & Göbel, H. (2025). Comparison of Phenotypes of Headaches After COVID-19 Vaccinations Differentiated According to the Vaccine Used. Vaccines , 13 (2), 113. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13020113
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