COVID-19 vaccination for patients with epilepsy: A Chinese expert consensus

Epilepsy Behav. 2023 Oct:147:109387. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109387. Epub 2023 Aug 23.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in late 2019 and has since spread worldwide. More than 600 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and over 6 million have died. Vaccination against COVID-19 is one of the best ways to protect humans. Epilepsy is a common disease, and there are approximately 10 million patients with epilepsy (PWE) in China. However, China has listed "uncontrolled epilepsy" as a contraindication for COVID-19 vaccination, which makes many PWE reluctant to get COVID-19 vaccination, greatly affecting the health of these patients in the COVID-19 epidemic. However, recent clinical practice has shown that although a small percentage of PWE may experience an increased frequency of seizures after COVID-19 vaccination, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for PWE far outweigh the risks, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccination is safe and recommended for PWE. Nonetheless, vaccination strategies vary for different PWE, and this consensus provides specific recommendations for PWE to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epilepsy; Seizure; Vaccine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 Vaccines / adverse effects
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Consensus
  • East Asian People
  • Epilepsy* / complications
  • Epilepsy* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines