The FDA advisory committee reviewing the new Moderna vaccine noted a specific side effect involving several subjects who have cosmetic facial fillers.
Carmel Valley facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Amir Karam, said specifically that facial swelling was seen in a small number of trial patients.
So what they saw in the 30,000-member trial that Moderna did is they found that about three of those patients respond to the filler. The reaction was localized where the filler was applied, so in a few cases it was the lip and cheek, ”he said.
One of the participants had received a filler two weeks before the vaccination, another had done it six months before.
Millions of people have applied cosmetic facial fillers by doctors to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and strengthen cheeks and lips. Karam says the response to the vaccine is immunological.
“What happens is you take a vaccine and suddenly your immune system speeds up. In fact, the thought is because of that effect of the immune system, targeting the areas that you have filler in and triggering a more potent inflammatory response, ”he said.
He also said this potential side effect shouldn’t stop people from getting the vaccine when their turn is around. Karam said any responses from derma fillers were easily handled by medical personnel.
But what if people have a filler and have a mild reaction? Karam said, “I think if it is localized, it is a very mild type of reaction, just that the areas are swollen, I think the first step is to contact the doctor who injected the filler.”
If someone has a severe anaphylactic reaction, they should go to the emergency room immediately for help.