COVID Vaccine and Lyme Disease: A Patient Describes Side Effects
A woman with chronic Lyme disease shares her vaccine experience.
Researchers examined symptom burden after COVID-19 vaccination.
Most symptoms after vaccination were mild and short-lived.
A 28-year-old single white Latina woman with a history of a tick bite and erythema migrans rash contracted Lyme disease while on vacation. She was unable to finish her college degree and was unemployed at the time of the survey.
She had a positive IgG Western blot test for Lyme disease and was also treated clinically for Bartonella. She had been ill with Lyme disease since she was 16 years old. Treatment included Zithromax, Vancomycin, Levaquin, and IV ceftriaxone.
She had also been treated with vitamin C, fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, magnesium, glutathione, saunas and steam rooms, enemas, stem cells, and zinc.
Persistent Symptoms Before COVID-19 Vaccination
The woman remained ill despite treatment and reported fatigue, insomnia, muscle pain, joint pain, migraines, seizures, general malaise, swollen glands, tachycardia, brain fog, concentration problems, mood swings, irritability, depression, as well as sensitivity to light, noise, and odors.
In May 2021, she received the Pfizer vaccine. Following vaccination, she reported a slight headache, some fatigue, and pain at the injection site. Her symptoms lasted less than 48 hours.
Her symptom burden was captured using the General Symptom Questionnaire-30 (GSQ-30), with a score of 43 out of 120. This score was higher than for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) but lower than patients with depression and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).1
The most severe symptoms on her GSQ-30 questionnaire included fatigue, sleep disruption, not feeling rested on awakening, worsening after physical activity, muscle pain, back pain, bladder discomfort, irritability, anxiety, trouble finding words, memory problems, and slower thinking speed.
She did not feel her Lyme disease had worsened as a result of the vaccine and strongly encouraged others to take the vaccine.
Lyme Disease Patient Describes Side Effects Following COVID-19 Vaccine
Highlights
Question: Some individuals with Lyme disease symptoms have expressed concerns that their symptom burden would increase if they were vaccinated for COVID-19. What is the clinical presentation of someone with persistent Lyme disease who has taken the COVID-19 vaccine?
Findings: This cross-sectional study revealed a high symptom burden in 1,168 individuals with a history of Lyme disease. The GSQ-30 measure of symptom burden for 616 individuals who were vaccinated against COVID-19 was significantly lower than the symptom burden for the 552 who were not vaccinated.
Meaning: Contrary to common concerns, the COVID-19 vaccine did not worsen the symptom burden for individuals with Lyme disease. Instead, the symptom burden was significantly lower relative to those who were not vaccinated. However, it remains possible that a small number of individuals would have negative reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine.
FAQ: COVID Vaccine and Lyme Disease
Can the COVID vaccine worsen Lyme disease symptoms?
In this study, most vaccinated individuals with Lyme disease did not report worsening symptom burden after COVID-19 vaccination. Some individuals experienced mild short-term side effects such as headache, fatigue, and arm soreness.
What side effects were reported after COVID vaccination?
The patient described mild fatigue, headache, and injection-site pain lasting less than 48 hours after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
Did vaccinated Lyme disease patients report more symptoms?
The study found that vaccinated participants with a history of Lyme disease had a lower symptom burden on the GSQ-30 questionnaire compared with unvaccinated participants.
Links to Lyme and COVID-19 Series
- Severity of Lyme disease in a COVID-19 pandemic
- A 16-year-old girl and a 28-year-old woman with a history of Lyme disease shared their experiences after contracting COVID-19 – case discussion
- The experiences of individuals with a history of Lyme disease who contracted COVID-19
- 28-year-old woman with a history of Lyme disease describes side effects following her COVID-19 vaccine – a case discussion
- Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines in individuals with Lyme disease
- A 45-year-old woman who has been hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Next Lyme science blog
- Concerns of individuals with a history of Lyme disease who have been hesitant or have refused to take the vaccine. Next Lyme science blog
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
The vaccine is harmful according to the release of side effects from the manufacture and its suppressed history thus far . Lyme patients have seen the CDC in action before with member charged over their conflict of interests. To endorse this vaccine at such a point in time only indicates we are at a very troubling point in time with medicine and big pharma .If you want to continue to be a puppet with cytokine storms and auto immune responses i would get it to .Its been 24 years for me with Lyme, the history of treatment that i have witnessed with my involvement in Occupational Health and Safety( corruption ) has educated me on how to follow the politics and this virus since day one. We had safe treatments other than the vax unfortunately like lyme disease it created an opportunity for investment and monetary reward rather than a humanitarian cure .The Theory of Plum Island is looking more feasible every day as humanity is plagued with greed and the need for power we are witnessing with a vaxxine that doesn’t work like any other vaxxine pushed upon the public . This article is disgrace ,Doctor Cameron .
Thanks for raising your concerns. This COVID-19 and Lyme disease Survey merely shares the experience of individuals with Lyme disease who contracted covid, or taken the vaccine or refused the vaccine. The next blog will reflect the concern of individuals with Lyme disease who have been hesitant or refused to take the vaccine.
Well said
The fact that vaccinated lyme patients were less ill than unvaccinated ones may just reflect the sicker patients’ inability to get out of the house to get vaccinated, or their lack of concern for contracting covid because they rarely leave their homes.
Great question. There were 616 individuals with a history of Lyme disease who were vaccinated. At least we know their experience. In other words, that group was at least not worse.
I AGREE !
Wow. People and groups will do anything to push this experimental injection onto people. I’m really disappointed in this take as there is much to be concerned about. this by all means it not a “one size fits all” experimental injection that modulates your DNA. With no proper testing. VAERS death reports have already exceeded all tested past vaccines combined so until there is factual time tested proof I will not be part of this experiment. I’ve read too many reports from the people who are pushing this multi billion dollar opportunity (for them) on the masses.
So grateful I passed on this horrendous shot. Someone told me they know a Lyme dr that said all his patients that took the shot are in relapse and he has no idea what to do. This dr – Cameron – was pushing them. Him and Horowitz. Shameful.