The skin-related adverse effects of COVID vaccines have been dismissed as “irrelevant” by experts and overlooked by the public, writes Jane M. Orient, M.D., in the spring issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.
While the lay public may be unaware of the significance of skin pathologies, their neglect by regulators was unexpected because they know that the dangers exceed mere cosmetic issues, she states.
The article summarises the manifold functions of this critical organ, which is not a mere protective barrier but a crucial super-organ. As a part of the recently discovered cutaneous-immuno-neuro-endocrine (CINE) system, skin coordinates immune responses, thermoregulation, and chemical homeostasis. It carries out neuroendocrine functions via the production of neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, and steroid hormones, including sex hormones and vitamin D3.
“The potential interference of mRNA vaccine with those crucial functions of the skin may have very serious systemic consequences with grave implications for patients’ general health status,” Dr Orient states.
The skin also serves as a “diagnostic display” for systemic illness, she adds, and in vaccinated patients might signal systemic adverse reactions such as autoimmune conditions.
Historically, traditional vaccines have triggered serious cutaneous reactions. The mRNA platform vaccines introduce new harmful mechanisms, such as the use of lipid nanoparticles and polyethene glycol, she writes.
Global pharmacovigilance databases, such as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) COVID-19 Registry and the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) have provided valuable insights into cutaneous side effects of mRNA vaccines. Unfortunately, the concerns they raise have been dismissed by officials, Dr Orient observes.
The fact that the mRNA platform was implemented despite warning signs of cutaneous and other serious risks “defies rational explanation.” Future research of risk/benefits profiles of vaccines should be driven by objectivity, not by the biased desire to “decrease vaccine hesitancy.” Any vaccines with a proven unfavourable risk/benefit ratio should be removed from the market. “Until then, physicians who encounter cutaneous signs in vaccinated patients should exert diagnostic due diligence,” she concludes.
