Canada attaches label to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine warning of Bell’s palsy risk

Health Canada has updated product information on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine label to contain information on rare cases of Bell’s Palsy in those who receive the vaccine.

That information is already included on the Moderna vaccine labels.

“Bell's Palsy is an episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis,” a Health Canada news release states. “The condition is typically temporary. Symptoms appear suddenly and generally start to improve after a few weeks. The exact cause is unknown. It's believed to be the result of swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls muscles on one side of your face.”

People should seek medical attention if they experience any combination of a number of symptoms after their vaccination.

These include uncoordinated movement of the muscles that control facial expressions, such as smiling, squinting, blinking or closing the eyelid, loss of feeling in the face, headache, tearing from the eye, drooling, lost sense of taste on the front two-thirds of the tongue, hypersensitivity to sound in the one ear and the inability to close an eye on one side of the face.

The release says that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at protecting people from COVID-19 and the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

Adverse effects from immunization should be reported to here.

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