A case of dangerously high glucose levels in a patient following a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot sparked Johns Hopkins physicians to take a closer look, revealing a subtle but significant link between the booster and short-term blood sugar spikes in adults with type 1 diabetes.
First Hint of a Problem
In the summer of 2021, a 24-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes, normally managed on 45 units of insulin daily, was rushed to an emergency room. Heart pounding and breathing rapidly, her blood glucose levels were alarmingly high, and she was unresponsive to her regular insulin protocol.During her initial day in the hospital, she required 220 units of insulin delivered through her veins—nearly five times her regular dose. Her body began to comply by the third day, her glucose levels cautiously retreating.
