As a result of significant recent scientific investment, the range of vaccines available for COVID-19 prevention continues to expand and uptake is increasing globally. Although initial trial safety data have been generally reassuring, a number of adverse events, including vaccine induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT), have come to light which have the potential to undermine the success of the vaccination program. However, it can be difficult to interpret available data and put these into context and to communicate this effectively. In this review, we discuss contemporary methodologies employed to investigate possible associations between vaccination and adverse neurological outcomes and why determining causality can be challenging. We demonstrate these issues by discussing relevant historical exemplars and explore the relevance for the current pandemic and vaccination program. We also discuss challenges in understanding and communicating such risks to clinicians and the general population within the context of the 'infodemic' facilitated by the Internet and other media.

中文翻译：

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疫苗相关神经系统不良事件的解释：方法学和历史回顾。

由于近期的重大科学投资，可用于预防 COVID-19 的疫苗范围不断扩大，全球的接种率也在增加。尽管初步试验的安全性数据总体上令人放心，但已发现许多不良事件，包括疫苗诱发的血栓形成和血小板减少症 (VITT)，这有可能破坏疫苗接种计划的成功。但是，可能很难解释可用数据并将其置于上下文中并有效地进行交流。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了用于研究疫苗接种与不良神经系统结果之间可能关联的现代方法，以及确定因果关系为何具有挑战性。我们通过讨论相关的历史范例来证明这些问题，并探讨与当前大流行和疫苗接种计划的相关性。我们还讨论了在互联网和其他媒体推动的“信息流行病”背景下，在理解此类风险并将其传达给临床医生和普通民众方面的挑战。