The joint problems manifested as arthritis, tenosynovitis, or bursitis that appeared at a median of 11 days after injection. The arthritis tended to affect one to four peripheral joints asymmetrically; pain was usually mild and dysfunction was usually moderate. Ten of the 11 affected patients in Geneva and both of the two (out of 60) affected patients at the other sites were symptom-free by 6 months. These findings “suggest a favorable long-term prognosis for these vaccine-induced arthritides,” Dr. Agnandji and his associates said.
Three participants developed maculopapular rashes mainly affecting the limbs, which appeared at 7-9 days following injection and persisted for 1-2 weeks. The rash was accompanied by a few tender vesicles on fingers or toes. Synovial fluid extracted from affected joints and material recovered from skin vesicles showed the presence of rVSV.
Given that most adverse reactions occurred soon after vaccination, were of short duration, and were amenable to treatment, this vaccine demonstrated “a favorable risk-benefit balance,” they added.