Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

New study suggests link between Moderna COVID-19 booster and chronic hives

By Brian Buntz | February 3, 2023

The skin of the girl's back is afflicted by dermatitis.

[Image courtesy of Pol Maria via Adobe Stock]

A Swiss study found that the monovalent Moderna (Nasdaq:MRNA) COVID-19 booster vaccine may be linked to a higher risk of a type of hives known technically as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).

In a cohort of the study based in the Swiss canton of Vaud, 90% of people who received the mRNA-based Moderna COVID-19 booster and developed new-onset hives had the Moderna vaccine beforehand. In a nationwide cohort, 81% of those with new-onset hives received the vaccine first.

The individuals with CSU in the study waited roughly three months for the condition to resolve.

The research was published in JAMA Network Open.

Overview of the Swiss study

The incidence of CSU after a booster dose was 1.9 to 2.1 per 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 30.8 to 43.9 per 100,000 doses of Moderna’s product.

The study authors are uncertain why the Moderna COVID-19 booster appears more strongly associated with CSU than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The authors note that the reasons for this association are unclear but may relate to the higher dose of mRNA in the Moderna vaccine. In addition, they had previously reported that the Moderna vaccine had a stronger association with positive skin and basophil activation test results than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which may be associated with CSU in predisposed individuals.

Guidelines for mRNA-based boosters?

The JAMA study does not discourage COVID vaccination but does recommend creating new guidelines for eligibility and dosing for mRNA-based boosters for patients with CSU after receiving an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) also notes a number of cases of CSU associated with the first-generation Moderna vaccine. Out of 415,506 adverse event reports, there were 142 reports of chronic spontaneous urticaria and 13,423 events categorized as ‘urticaria’ alone. Injection site urticaria and mechanical urticaria were also common. There were 1,201 reports of the former and 841 reports of the latter.

A research letter published in JAMA Dermatology in 2021 noted 776 cutaneous reactions in recipients of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in almost 50,000 healthcare employees.


Filed Under: Dermatology, Infectious Disease
Tagged With: Moderna COVID-19 booster
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

Related Articles Read More >

Nektar’s Phase 2b atopic dermatitis win triggers 1,746% analyst target surge, but legal tussle with ex-partner Lilly could complicate path forward
Dupixent approved to treat bullous pemphigoid
First clinical study results of Dupixent for atopic dermatitis in patients with darker skin tones 
Takeda
TAK-279, an oral small-molecule TYK2 inhibitor offering the convenience of a once-daily pill and biologic-like clinical responses
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE