Social media messages have warned against taking a COVID-19 vaccine due to the risk of developing a rare disorder called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). However, there is no evidence linking approved COVID-19 vaccines to SJS.
The claims have been spreading online since December 2020, when the vaccine was launched, and can be traced back to a Facebook comment from a user who described herself as a doctor who had ‘medicine’ for holistic medicine more than twenty years ago. practice ‘left’. The same user explains on YouTube that she decided to take holistic medicine after ‘healing’ herself from epilepsy (here).
In her Facebook comment (archive.is/zqeIo), copied and shared by numerous other accounts (here, here, here, here, here and here), the doctor tells other users to avoid having a COVID -vaccination after hearing an alleged effect. She writes: “Do not take the COvid (sic) vaccine. My friend’s daughter is a medical assistant in a New York hospital. One of her fellow PAs was vaccinated with the new COvid vaccine and had an extreme allergic reaction called Stevens Johnson syndrome.
‘It makes all the skin on your body flake off and leaves you blind. She looks like a burnt offering and is now in the burn unit with her eyes closed and they do not know if she will survive. If she does, she will probably be blind in at least one eye (if not both) and will have to undergo numerous skin graft surgeries and be shot through her entire body for life. ”
Several accounts that re-shared the comment also included photos (here, here and here). However, these photos are all old and do not show a person after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The original photos can be found (here and here).
There is also no evidence to suggest that approved COVID-19 vaccines pose a risk of developing SJS.
According to a team of global health scientists at the Meedan Digital Health Lab, SJS is a very rare, serious disease of the skin and mucous membranes. It is typically a reaction that begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful rash that usually spreads, causing blisters and vomiting. A more serious form of SJS is toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which involves reactions on more than 30% of the skin surface and major damage to the mucous membranes ”(here).
The team explained that the most common cause of SJS is pneumonia in children and medication in adults. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the major COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca) are associated with SJS or TIEN. Receiving a vaccine is generally safer than being potentially infected with COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 infection is associated with adverse skin conditions. ”
In response to these specific social media messages, the experts said: ‘Some misinformation is being spread about the risks of SJS due to the COVID-19 vaccines without evidence. Some of these allegations may stem from the fact that there have been a small number of case reports of COVID-19 patients who developed SJS after certain vaccinations (for example the flu vaccine) without being exposed to other concomitant medicines. . with SJS.
‘In a systematic review examining a possible link between SJS and vaccination, no significant link was found. Although SJS may be a rare adverse reaction to certain vaccinations, vaccination is generally considered safe and important in saving lives. ‘
A spokesman for the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Foundation also told Reuters in an email: “We have not yet heard of any cases of SJS (linked) to the COVID-19 vaccine” (sjsupport.org/?page_id=428 ).
The foundation’s website posted information from Vanderbilt University Medical Center urging those who had suffered from SJS / TEN in the past to be vaccinated against COVID-19. It states: ‘It is understandable that SJS / TEN survivors would be reluctant to take drugs and vaccines, even beyond the means implied in their response, given the randomness and severity of the disease. However, those who have recently experienced SJS / TEN and survivors of SJS / TEN can rest assured that receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is a safer option than natural infection (sjsupport.org/?p=2183). ”
VERDICT
Untrue. There is no evidence that approved COVID-19 vaccines cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The disease is rare, and experts believe that it is safer to be vaccinated than to be at risk of being infected with the coronavirus.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.