Kiel, Lübeck, Riyadh, Sharjah, July 28, 2021. Headaches are the most common neurological side effect after COVID-19 vaccination, occurring in over 50% of vaccinated individuals. Detailed information on the clinical characteristics of these headaches has been lacking until now. Precise international data on the exact presentation of this new form of headache are now available for the first time.

Headaches following COVID-19 vaccination present with a wide range of symptoms. Depending on the vaccine, symptoms appear approximately 15-18 hours after vaccination and last an average of 14-16 hours. More than 75% of those affected experience bilateral headaches. The main locations are the forehead, temples, back of the head, and around the eyes. The pain is characterized by a dull, pressing sensation and is moderate to severe in intensity. The most common accompanying symptoms are fatigue, chills, malaise, and muscle pain. Headaches tend to be more intense in women than in men, and also more severe in younger individuals than in older people. In rare cases, headaches can become chronic, even without a prior history of headaches. However, they are usually short-lived, lasting just under a day.

Researchers from the Kiel Pain Clinic, the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, and the Universities of Riyadh and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) participated in the extensive international study. Data were collected globally. Knowledge of these diagnostic criteria is crucial for clinical practice. The symptoms characterize a specific headache pattern. The results now allow for the differentiation of other headaches, such as migraine. Headaches are also the leading symptom of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. In rare cases, this can occur as a dangerous complication following vaccination. The findings allow for the differentiation of this and other acute and chronic headache disorders.

Headaches are widespread in the population. Around 50 million people in Germany are affected, including 28 million women and 21 million men. This makes headaches the number one health problem. Consequently, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the cause of headaches after vaccination. Anxiety and doubt lead to a constant stream of emergency room visits. The findings now allow for the differentiation between vaccination-related headaches and other types of headaches.

Video Abstract : https://youtu.be/cuptrRT9j0w

Sources:

Carl H Göbel, Axel Heinze, Sarah Karstedt, Mascha Morscheck, Lilian Tashiro, Anna Cirkel, Qutayba Hamid, Rabih Halwani, Mohamad-Hani Temsah, Malte Ziemann, Siegfried Görg, Thomas Münte, Hartmut Göbel, Clinical characteristics of headache after vaccination against COVID-19 (coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine: a multicentre observational cohort study. Brain Communications , 2021; fcab169, https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcab169

Carl H Göbel, Axel Heinze, Sarah Karstedt, Mascha Morscheck, Lilian Tashiro, Anna Cirkel, Qutayba Hamid, Rabih Halwani, Mohamad-Hani Temsah, Malte Ziemann, Siegfried Görg, Thomas Münte, Hartmut Göbel, Headache attributed to vaccination against COVID-19 (Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine: a multicenter observational cohort study.
Pain and Therapy, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-021-00296-3