Vigilance regarding immune thrombocytopenic purpura after COVID-19 vaccine

INTRODUCTION: Based on the severity of thrombocytopenia, patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are at an increased risk of mucocutaneous or major bleeding. DISCUSSION: There has been an increased risk of ITP after administration of various vaccines like influenza, measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis. The pathogenesis of vaccine-related thrombocytopenia is not completely clear and is probably caused by molecular mimicry. Till date, there have been few reported cases of thrombocytopenia in the pharmacovigilance databases after patients received the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians should be aware of the occurrence of vaccine-induced ITP in patients who present with bleeding manifestations, especially after the current boost in COVID-19 vaccination drive worldwide.