Dr Poland I am wondering if you could comment on whether or not the post vaccination symptoms of Bell's palsy after an initial dose are of sufficient concern to delay the second dose - as a general recommendation.
I read that the FDA recommended monitoring people for potential cases of Bell's Palsy (4 our of 43, 000 participants in the Pfizer trial developed symptoms of Bell's Palsy) but there is not enough data to show whether the cases were tied directly to the vaccine . In Medpage Today, published April 27th, 2021, you were quoted saying that the VIgiBase findings indicate a "slight imbalance during the phase 111 trials of both mRNA vaccines, suggesting a potential safety signal".. "however no clear signals have been detected in any of the US vaccine surveillance systems"…But I also noted that the VAERS database does not have a specific field to capture neurological symptoms and relies on the comment space. How should the risks be weighed? thank you. Evie