COVID-19: Post-vaccine Smell and Taste Disorders: Report of 6 Cases

Ear Nose Throat J. 2024 Feb;103(2):NP104-NP107. doi: 10.1177/01455613211033125. Epub 2021 Sep 1.

Abstract

Post-vaccine olfactory and gustatory disorders are very rare and were reported in patients who received influenza vaccines. In this article, we report 6 cases of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine olfactory and gustatory disorders in patients with negative nasal swabs. Precisely, olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions were reported in 5 and 1 patients, respectively. Sense disorders occurred after the first injection of AstraZeneca (n = 4) or the second injection of Pfizer (n = 2) vaccines. In 4 cases, the olfactory or gustatory disorder was confirmed with psychophysical evaluations. The duration of chemosensory dysfunction ranged from 4 to 42 days. None of the patient reported mid- or long-term olfactory or gustatory disorder. The occurrence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in adults benefiting from COVID-19 vaccines is still rare but has to be known by otolaryngologists.

Keywords: COVID-19; gustatory; smell; taste; olfactory; vaccine.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 Vaccines* / adverse effects
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Humans
  • Olfaction Disorders* / chemically induced
  • Taste Disorders* / chemically induced

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines