In another thread which I began on a different subject, the possibility of a link between PMR and COVID vaccine came up. In that thread, for the first time I saw something other than idle speculation that the vaccine and PMR might be l inked:
A study published in the journal Rheumatology in 2023 found that the rate of PMR was slightly higher in people who had received a COVID-19 vaccine than in those who had not. However, the study's authors concluded that this difference was not statistically significant, and that more research is needed to determine whether there is a true link between COVID-19 vaccination and PMR.
I was also directed to a U.S. NIH study which noted, inter alia::
However, growing evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccination may cause new-onset autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune glomerulonephritis, autoimmune rheumatic diseases, and autoimmune hepatitis. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccines and these autoimmune diseases remains to be demonstrated. In this review, we provide evidence that vaccination induces autoimmunity and summarize possible mechanisms of action, such as molecular mimicry, activation by bystanders, and adjuvants. Our objective is not to refute the importance of vaccines, but to raise awareness about the potential risks of COVID-19 vaccination. In fact, we believe that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the possible risks and encourage people to get vaccinated.
This led me to check my "medical log" and I realized that I was slammed, overnight, with a full-blown, nasty case of PMR either one or two day after my second Moderna booster in Feb 2022. You might ask, Duh, did it take this long for you to figure that out?
In my defense I would say that at 84 years of age, with three years in the military and a career spend in numerous countries around the world, I have received more than my fair share of inoculations and not one single time ever had a reaction other than a sore arm and so I never put the two together.
I was signed up to the the latest booster today, at a clinic, but I cancelled the appointment. My wife and I had COVID in February this year and it wasn't much worse that a nasty cold.
I will take a nasty cold over a full-blown case of PMR any day.