Global burden of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis and their related vaccines, 1967-2023: A comprehensive analysis of the international pharmacovigilance database

BackgroundVaccine-associated anaphylaxis is a rare but life-threatening reaction that occurs within minutes to hours of exposure to allergens. As studies utilizing large-scale data to investigate this topic are limited, further research is needed to assess its burden, long-term trends, and associated risk factors so as to gain a comprehensive understanding of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis globally. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the global burden of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis and related vaccines.MethodThis study utilized the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database, in which reports of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis between 1967 and 2023 were obtained (total reports = 131,255,418). We estimated the global reporting counts, reported odds ratio (ROR), and information component (IC) to identify the relationship between 19 vaccines and associated anaphylaxis in 156 countries and territories.ResultsWe identified 31,676 reports of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis among 363,290 reports of all-cause anaphylaxis. The cumulative number of reports on vaccine-associated anaphylaxis has gradually increased over time, with a dramatic increase after 2020, owing to reports of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated anaphylaxis. The typhoid vaccines were associated with the most anaphylactic reports (ROR: 4.35; IC0.25: 1.86), followed by encephalitis (3.27; 1.45), hepatitis B (2.69; 1.30), cholera (2.65; 0.54), hepatitis A (2.44; 1.12), influenza (2.36; 1.16), inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 (2.21; 1.02), and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (1.89; 0.79). In terms of age- and sex-specific risks, vaccine-associated anaphylaxis reports develop more frequently in females and at young ages. The Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine anaphylaxis reports were associated with the highest fatality rate (15.0%).ConclusionsAlthough multiple vaccines are associated with various spectra and risks of anaphylaxis, clinicians should recognize the possibility of anaphylaxis occurring with all vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 mRNA and inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccines, and consider the risk factors associated with vaccine anaphylaxis reports. Further studies are warranted to identify better ways of preventing vaccine-associated anaphylaxis. We identified 31,676 reports of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis among 363,290 reports of all-cause anaphylaxis from the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database. The cumulative number of reports on vaccine-associated anaphylaxis has gradually increased over time, with a dramatic increase after 2020, owing to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated anaphylaxis. The typhoid vaccines caused the most anaphylactic reports, followed by encephalitis, hepatitis B, cholera, hepatitis A, influenza, inactivated whole-virus COVID-19, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; MMR, measles, mumps, and rubella; WHO, World Health Organizationimage

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers utilized the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database to investigate the global burden of vaccine-associated anaphylaxis. They found that the cumulative number of reports on vaccine-associated anaphylaxis has been increasing over time, especially after 2020 due to reports of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated anaphylaxis. They also identified the vaccines that were most commonly associated with anaphylactic reports, as well as the age and sex-specific risks. The study highlights the importance of recognizing the possibility of anaphylaxis with all vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 mRNA and inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccines.