Study Finds Increased Risk of Vertigo and Tinnitus Shortly After COVID-19 Vaccination
According to a new study, thousands of vaccinated people presented to doctors with an audiovestibular problem within 42 days of vaccination. The study, based on data from the POLAR database, found that there were 65,468 visits to general practices with an audiovestibular problem in Victoria and New South Wales, and these visits were more likely to occur within 42 days of a COVID-19 shot. Another 678 problems related to the ear were reported within 42 days of a vaccine dose to the Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination In the Community (SAEFVIC) system in Victoria.
The study established a safety signal for tinnitus and vertigo after COVID-19 vaccination. Researchers found an increase in general practice visits with vertigo following a Moderna or Pfizer vaccination, and visits with tinnitus after a Moderna, Pfizer, or AstraZeneca vaccine.
A separate analysis of SAEFVIC also found that reports of audiovestibular problems were more common after AstraZeneca vaccination than after a Moderna or Pfizer shot. The paper also discussed the use of mRNA technology in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the use of an adenovirus in AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
The study used a self-controlled case series to analyze the primary care data. For all audiovestibular conditions, including hearing loss, people were more likely to present within 42 days of vaccination than during other time periods. The rates of reported audiovestibular conditions were 9.7 per 100,000 AstraZeneca doses and 5 per 100,000 mRNA shots.
However, the study has limitations, including not capturing people who reported to health care settings outside of general practices. Another study from South Korean researchers also reported that vaccinated people were at increased risk of tinnitus and ear disease when compared to unvaccinated people.
