Kiel, Lübeck, Riyadh, Sharjah July 28, 2021. Headache is the most common neurological side effect after COVID-19 vaccination. They occur in over 50% of those vaccinated. Detailed information about the clinical features of these headaches is not yet known. Now, for the first time, precise international data is available on the exact appearance of this new form of headache.

Headaches after a COVID-19 vaccination show an extensive complex of symptoms. Depending on the vaccine, symptoms appear around 15-18 hours after vaccination. They last an average of 14-16 hours. The headaches occur on both sides in more than 75% of those affected. The main locations are the forehead, temples, back of the head and eye region. The character of the pain is oppressive and dull. The pain intensity is moderate to severe. The most common accompanying symptoms are fatigue, chills, fatigue and muscle pain. The intensity of headaches is greater in women than in men. The intensity of headaches is higher in younger people than in older people. In exceptional cases they can also turn into a chronic form without any previous headaches. However, the headaches are usually short and last just under a day.

Researchers from the Kiel Pain Clinic, the Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital and the Universities of Riyadh and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) were involved in the extensive international study. The data was collected globally. Knowledge of these diagnostic criteria is crucial for clinical practice. The symptoms characterize a specific headache pattern. The results can now be used to differentiate between other headaches, such as migraines. Headache is also the leading symptom of cerebral sinus vein thrombosis. In individual cases, this can occur as a dangerous complication after a vaccination. The results allow these and other acute and chronic forms of headache to be differentiated.

Headaches are widespread in the population. Around 50 million people in Germany are affected, including 28 million women and 21 million men. This makes headache the number 1 widespread disease. There is therefore great uncertainty about the cause of headaches after vaccination. Fears and doubts constantly lead to numerous emergency admissions. The results now make it possible to differentiate between vaccine headaches and other 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 multicenter 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