Delayed Large Local Reactions to mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines in Blacks, Indigenous Persons, and People of Color

Abstract

To the Editor: Blumenthal et al. 1 report delayed large local reactions in 12 patients who had received the mRNA-1273 vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Baeck et al. 2 report a similar reaction to the BNT162b2 vaccine. The majority of these patients with delayed large local reactions and those whose cases have been reported elsewhere 3,4 have been White. Alvarez-Arango et al. 5 note the importance of diverse images of dermatologic findings to mitigate cognitive biases and to bet-Figure 1. Delayed Large Local Reactions to mRNA Vaccines in Blacks, Indigenous Persons, and People of Color. Shown are delayed large local reactions in a 41-year-old Black woman (Panel A), in a 51-year-old Black woman (Panel B), in a 44-year-old Black woman (Panel C), and in a 69-year-old woman of mixed race (Asian and White; Panel D), all of whom had received the first dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Also shown are delayed large local reactions in a 41-year-old Black woman who had received the first dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine (Panel E), in a 60-year-old Asian woman who had received the first dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Panel F), in a 73-year-old Asian man who had received the second dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Panel G), and in a 21-year-old Hispanic woman who had received the first dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Panel H).