key: cord-1007543-o2f0l3dl
authors: Mattiuzzi, Camilla; Lippi, Giuseppe
title: Headache after COVID-19 vaccination: updated report from the Italian Medicines Agency database
date: 2021-06-18
journal: Neurol Sci
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05354-4
sha: d1d5bffe46849fcc3a6bd11b0c32b31247d02f47
doc_id: 1007543
cord_uid: o2f0l3dl

nan

Evaluation [5] . This repository is the most comprehensive worldwide catalog of health-related data. The electronic search was conducted for "headache disorders," with search criteria set to Italy (country), both sexes (sex), all ages (age), and frequency per 100,000 (metric). The statistical analysis was performed with MedCalc Statistical Software (MedCalc Software Ltd., Ostend, Belgium) and MetaXL software (Epi-Gear International Pty Ltd., Sunrise Beach, Australia). The study was based on free electronic searches of public AIFA and GHDx repositories, so that no ethics committee approval was necessary.

The cumulative frequency of headache disorders in Italy was 13,417 per 100,000 in the last GHDx searchable year (i.e., 2019), thus accounting for a mean frequency of 37 daily cases per 100,000. The rate of headache/migraine episodes voluntarily reported by recipients of COVID-19 vaccines up to May 9, 2021, was 129, 103, and 21 per 100,000 for AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines, respectively. The risk of developing headache/migraine episodes was hence the highest for recipients of AstraZeneca vaccine (odds ratio, 3.50; 95% CI, 3.12-3.93; P < 0.001), followed by those receiving Pfizer vaccine (odds ratio, 2.78; 95% CI, 2.47-3.13; P < 0.001), whilst the number of voluntary reports for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was even lower than the daily frequency of headache disorders in Italy (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.49-0.68; P < 0.001) (Fig. 1) . The cumulative rate of headache/migraine episodes after receiving all COVID-19 vaccines was 2.25-fold higher than the daily frequency of headache disorders (odds ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 0.83-6.11).

This analysis of voluntary reports from the Italian Medicines Agency database shows that the headache/migraine episodes may frequently accompany COVID-19 vaccination, and their frequency is especially high in recipients of Astra-Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Fig. 1 Odds ratio (OR; and 95% confidence interval) of voluntarily reported headache/ migraine episodes after receiving COVID-19 vaccination compared to the daily frequency of headache disorders in Italy

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