Why is there a concern about when to have fillers when you get a covid vaccine?

30/03/21

There have been some recommendations coming out from clinics with rules like: DON’T HAVE YOUR VACCINE FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE OR 2 WEEKS AFTER YOUR FILLER!

There is very little in scientific literature to support this rule. Here’s why:

 

There was a study of 30,000 patients in an arm of the moderna (mRNA) vaccine trials. 

15,000 patients were given the vaccine

15,000 were given a placebo

 

In the vaccinated group: 3 patients had swelling at the site of filler. 1 had lip filler a few days after vaccine, 1 had filler 6 months before and the 3rd wasn’t sure when they had the filler. 1 of these patients also had swelling of the filler site when they had the flu vaccine. 

So that’s 3 people in 15,000. No one knows how many of the 15,000 people had filler in the past. Filler treatments are ubiquitous in North Wales and Chester, so likely very common in the US too, so I would say there were a large % who had fillers and did not react.

In the not vaccinated (when a placebo was given) group, 2 patients had swelling at the site of previous filler. So this means a swelling reaction occurred in those who DIDN’T have the vaccine at all!

A paper was then published that declared an arbitrary rule of: no filler 4 weeks before or after a vaccine and the author cited the study discussed above, as the basis for this rule. 

However, even though as yet there is no scientific studies to support this rule of avoidance of filler at this time, it is may be sensible to postpone fillers around vaccine time. Most problems with fillers do not have an obvious trigger, cause and effect relationships have been suggested with dental procedures, viral illnesses and flu vaccinations.

SO I WOULD SUPPORT CAUTION AND HAVE YOUR FILLER EITHER 2 WEEKS BEFORE OR 2 WEEKS AFTER YOUR VACCINES. 

To date there is no data or reports of filler reactions from the Pfizer or Astra Zeneca vaccines (the most common U.K. vaccines). Here's a link to a piece written in the USA about this issue that supports my interpretation of the data. REALSELF article

It’s also worth noting that the wild Covid infection is more likely to give an overwhelming immune response than a vaccine. Covid-19 has ripped through the population, young and old and yet there are very few reports of swelling reactions of filler as a result of the infection itself.

Lastly, if this still makes you nervous about having filler and your vaccine- then you absolutely MUST have your vaccine as the priority if you are lucky enough to be offered one.