Pernicious Anemia Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Report of Two Cases

Hamidreza Soltani; Saeb Taghizade; Abdolrahim  Sadeghi; Ali Farahat; Mohammad Bagher Owlia

doi:10.18502/ijhoscr.v17i3.13312

Hamidreza Soltani Deparement of Rheumatology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Saeb Taghizade Department of Biology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Ashkezar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ashkezar, Yazd, Iran
Abdolrahim Sadeghi Department of Radiology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Ali Farahat Department of Hematology and Oncology٫ Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences٫Yazd٫ Iran
Mohammad Bagher Owlia Deparement of Rheumatology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijhoscr.v17i3.13312

Keywords: COVID-19; Vaccination; Pernicious anemia

Abstract

Since December 2019 and the global epidemic of COVID-19 different countries have focused on vaccines, and one of the inactivated produced vaccines was the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. Some side effects of this vaccine were reported previously, including pain at the vaccination site, fatigue, lethargy, headache, and tenderness, which were more prevalent among individuals <49 years old.

Herein, we reported two patients aged 45 and 51 years old. Both patients have different signs and symptoms after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. None had a history of chronic disease. On examination and following labs and other diagnostic investigations, we found megaloblastic anemia due to atrophic gastritis and low intrinsic factor. These cases showed an autoimmune side effect of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine that was previously reported with an exact mechanism but other features called Covid Arm, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and thrombocytopenia. The mechanism of this reaction is unclear yet.