Over the next few days, it should receive about 2,900 doses of the vaccine, officials said. David Conway, a registered nurse in the emergency department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, receives the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the hospital from registered nurse Rachel Lewis, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, on the 12th floor of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Nursing home residents and health care workers are the first in the state to receive the vaccine. Similarly, 4 out of 43,000 participants in the Pfizer clinical trial had Bell’s palsy, and all 4 received the vaccine. There are no data to suggest that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 … "The images being shared of the people who developed Bell's Palsy from the vaccine are taken from a facial paralysis paper written by our doctors and are NOT the patients related to the Pfizer vaccine trials," stated MEEI's Facial Nerve Center on Twitter. Healthcare workers are among the first to be inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo. on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. It's spurred a lot of conversation online, but experts can't say the vaccine caused it. On Dec. 10, the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research held the 162nd meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to discuss the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. For the Pfizer trial, 22,000 people received the trial vaccine and four people developed Bell’s palsy. Vaccine16, Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer and trauma surgeon at UofL hospital, is the first to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Kentucky on Monday, December 14, 2020. Samara Marin. Thus, because the finding was "consistent with the expected background rate in the general population," the trial ruled there was "no clear basis upon which to conclude a causal relationship" between the vaccine and the occurrence of Bell's palsy. Crystal Molina, RN at University Medical Center of El Paso, is the first person in El Paso to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday Dec. 15, in El Paso. There are certain conditions that can put an individual at a higher risk for developing Bell's palsy, such as pregnancy, hypertension or diabetes. Catalina Gonzalez-Marques, an emergency medical physician, receives the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, in Boston. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Pfizer's vaccine doesn't appear to cause the condition. Vice President Mike Pence receives the COVID-19 vaccine in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2020. The staff, which endorsed the emergency use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, said there wasn't enough data to tie the cases directly to the shots, but it warranted close scrutiny. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. That claim is missing significant context. The FDA said that there were four reported cases of Bell's palsy among Moderna's 30,000 trial participants, including three who got the vaccine. While developing a temporary neuromuscular condition during a vaccine trial may sound concerning, it is best to put this finding into perspective. Four Pfizer trial volunteers developed Bell’s Palsy Four people who got Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine in the firm’s trial developed Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, according to U.S. regulators’ report on the shot, and as reported by the Daily Mail . Dr. Blake Lovely before receives the first COVID-19 vaccination administered by RN Lynn Morrison at the DCH Regional Medical Center's drive through facility Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. It is HSV-1 that may be hiding away deep within facial nerves in a deactivated form, activating only when its human host comes under stress. Bell’s palsy is a type of temporary facial paralysis, of unknown cause that involves the facial nerve. Cathy Pitts, R.N., prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. A Facebook post claims 4 volunteers from the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trial developed Bell's palsy. Spread the love Antivaxxers and Google University doctors are warning people that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can cause Bell’s palsy. "This is the light at the end of the tunnel. Readers are encouraged to confirm the finding for themselves by following a link to an "FDA.gov review" provided at the bottom. The shot was administered by nurse Sarah Bishop at UofL Hospital. Most reported side effects were mild – a sore arm was the most common, and others included headache, tiredness, and a mild flu-like illness. Andrew West, The News-Press / USA TODAY Network. stated MEEI's Facial Nerve Center on Twitter. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Sponsor: Pfizer and BioNTech . Image from Nataliya Vaitkevich via Pexels. A quarter-size bandage covers the vaccination spot for Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer and trauma surgeon at UofL hospital. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Alexa Zarlengo, R.N., receives a COVID-19 vaccine from Debbie Mahoney, R.N., at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. 201214 Ia Pfizer Cv Vaccine 007 Jpg, Dr. Jeffrey Horowitz receives one of the first COVID-19 vaccines in the State of Ohio from pharmacist Robert Weber at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. Last month the FDA disclosed that Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, was reported by four participants during phase three trials of the Pfizer vaccine. That's not as scary as it sounds. Bell’s palsy is a weakness or paralysis of one side of the face which is usually temporary, and treated with steroids. — CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed to this report. Translating that to the trial's four cases out of 38,000 trial participants, it computes to 11 cases per 100,000 people. A 54-page staff report released Tuesday said there were four reported cases of Bell's palsy among Moderna's more than 30,000 clinical trial participants. Registered nurse Paige Metz gives Sanford Pediatrics Doctor Jody Huber the first COVID-19 vaccine provided by Sanford Health on Tuesday, December 15, at Sanford Imagenetics in Sioux Falls. "Four Pfizer vaccine volunteers (for COVID-19) develop Bell's palsy," claims a Dec. 12 Facebook post. A member of … It is also important to note a correlation between two events, phenomena or variables does not imply causation. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. However, the FDA does not consider these to be above the frequency expected in the general population and has not concluded that these cases were causally related to vaccination. There is usually a rapid onset of muscle weakness on one side of the face within hours or day, which can sometimes end in total paralysis. Media gather to document emergency room nurse Tarin Warns receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Cory Coffey at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. They are receiving the Pfizer vaccine. It's the end," Ishioka who opened the Emergency Operations Center on March 13th. Bell's palsy is temporary weakness or lack of movement affecting one side of the face. Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis. Image showing individuals from the pfizer trials resulting in bell’s palsy At least 13 people in Israel have suffered facial paralysis as a side-effect post Coronavirus vaccination, WION reported. Hospital staff and front line health care workers are the first to be vaccinated with the two-part vaccine. Symptoms occurred at different time points: For one participant, the condition occurred three days post-vaccination but resolved within three days; for the other three, symptoms appeared at nine, 37 and 48 days following vaccination and lasted for about 10, 15 and 21 days, respectively. Bell’s palsy was listed as a possible side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, however. Bell's palsy causes a sudden freezing or weakness in a person's facial muscles that's temporary for most people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Beaumont Health Care worker Naomi Ishioka gets emotional after watching fellow health care workers receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as part of a "high priority group" of health care workers to receive the first doses of the vaccine at the Beaumont Service Center in Southfield on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. People who have previously had Bell’s palsy may receive a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a Dec. 10 briefing document from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, four volunteers from Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine trial did develop a type of facial paralysis/weakness called Bell's palsy. One individual from the second image alongside the Daily Mail headline can be found in an article on tetanus; another can be found in an American Academy of Ophthalmology article from May 2008 and is clearly characterized as having a "left facial palsy.". On the left also receiving her vaccine is R.N. While the vaccine heralds an end to the nearly yearlong pandemic, some on social media are raising concerns. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Rachel Lewis, a University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) registered nurse, (right) prepares one of first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the hospital with Austin M. Cook, a pharmacy supply chain and automation manager at the hospital, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, on the 12th floor of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Facial Droop, Rash, Floaters and Blurriness: “Doctor, What’s Going On? Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an interview with JAMA on Monday that the agency would be able to easily and quickly access data on Bell's palsy cases once the vaccines are administered. Four participants in the Pfizer trials developed Bell's palsy. Although herpes is a lifelong infection, Bell's palsy is completely treatable with anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids and, in some severe cases, antiviral therapy as well. The shot was administered by nurse Sarah Bishop at UofL Hospital. In a briefing document by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine published 10 December, it was revealed that four vaccine participants developed Bell’s palsy, out of the 44,000 total participants of the late-stage vaccine trial. In the Pfizer trial the Bell’s palsy was the only side effect that affected those in the vaccine group and not the control group – those did not receive the live vaccine, rather a placebo. It is unclear why the four participants developed Bell's palsy and little is known about what exactly causes the condition. Doctors Gema Naum, left, and Ruxandra Ionescu sit in chairs after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. By Brian Buntz| March 1, 2021. An explanation of Bell's palsy is later offered ("a condition that causes a weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face"), and the post claims the side effect is being considered a " 'non-serious' reaction" despite the worrisome image included of three individuals with lopsided facial expressions. Table of Contents ... unsolicited adverse events, there was a numerical imbalanceof four cases of Bell’s palsy in the Vaccine15, A false post on social media claims COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility in women. The frequency of these cases is no greater than the frequency of Bell's palsy in the general population. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Staff take a moment to pray before COVID-19 vaccines are given out at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. The image from the first Facebook post was taken from a 2019 study out of Boston's Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary examining facial palsy. Robin Stemerman, from left front, Raul Garcia, Sarah Ellis, Crystal Molina, back left, and Ricardo Martinez, back right, are the first people in El Paso to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at University Medical Center of El Paso Tuesday Dec. 15, in El Paso. Nursing student Abriana Martinez administers the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to Dr. Erik Pronske at the University of Texas Health Austin Dell Medical School on Tuesday December 15, 2020. "I'm not dismissing that yet," he said in an interview with CNBC. Dr. Paul Offit, a voting member of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, agreed that the condition is worth monitoring as the vaccine rolls out. Viral activation leads to infection and damage to the local facial nerves, resulting in the characteristic facial drooping or muscle weakness. Fact check: List of 'deadliest days in American history' is partly false. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. One adverse event common to clinical trials for currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines is Bell’s palsy, an asymmetrical weakness or paralysis of the face that is often temporary. One prevailing theory is that herpes simplex virus may be the culprit. Recurrence for Bell's palsy is estimated at 5% to 15%. Three of the participants who got Bell's palsy also received the vaccine instead of a placebo shot. He voted in favor of recommending Pfizer's vaccine last week. Got a confidential news tip? Health-care workers lined up at locations across the U.S. to get some of the first injections of Pfizer's vaccine Monday. Nurse Martiza Beniquez, center, receives the first COVID vaccine shot in New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark as state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, right, looks on, Dec. 15, 2020. Fact check: COVID-19 tests are real, masks work, despite false claims to the contrary. Usa TODAY has reached out to both Facebook users who shared the posts relationship with two-part. 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