COVID-19 vaccines and the risk of Bell’s palsy

Abstract

Global yearly incidence of Bell’s palsy varies between 15 to 30 per 100,000 persons1 and has been reported following viral infections and immunisations2. Although initially thought that COVID vaccines did not confer an increased risk3, recent studies report an increased incidence of Bell’s palsy following vaccination. Which of the COVID vaccines confer a greater risk of Bell's palsy and the risk of relapse following the second vaccine dose is currently unknown. Lessons learnt from a patient presenting with vaccine related Bell’s palsy and review of published literature are highlighted here to present a perspective on Bell’s palsy associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.