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Review
. 2021 Aug 18;29(6):1216-1224.
doi: 10.1080/09273948.2021.1976221. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

Ocular Adverse Events After COVID-19 Vaccination

Xin Le Ng  1 , Bjorn Kaijun Betzler  2 , Ilaria Testi  3 , Su Ling Ho  1 , Melissa Tien  1 , Wei Kiong Ngo  1 , Manfred Zierhut  4 , Soon Phaik Chee  5   6   7 , Vishali Gupta  8 , Carlos E Pavesio  2 , Marc D de Smet  9   10 , Rupesh Agrawal  1   2   5   6   7   11
Affiliations
Review

Ocular Adverse Events After COVID-19 Vaccination

Xin Le Ng et al. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. .

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has galvanized the development of new vaccines at an unprecedented pace. Since the widespread implementation of vaccination campaigns, reports of ocular adverse effects after COVID-19 vaccinations have emerged. This review summarizes ocular adverse effects possibly associated with COVID-19 vaccination, and discusses their clinical characteristics and management.

Methods: Narrative Literature Review.

Results: Ocular adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccinations include facial nerve palsy, abducens nerve palsy, acute macular neuroretinopathy, central serous retinopathy, thrombosis, uveitis, multiple evanescent white dot syndrome, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease reactivation, and new-onset Graves' Disease. Studies in current literature are primarily retrospective case series or isolated case reports - these are inherently weak in establishing association or causality. Nevertheless, the described presentations resemble the reported ocular manifestations of the COVID-19 disease itself. Hence, we hypothesize that the human body's immune response to COVID-19 vaccinations may be involved in the pathogenesis of the ocular adverse effects post-COVID-19 vaccination.

Conclusion: Ophthalmologists and generalists should be aware of the possible, albeit rare, ocular adverse effects after COVID-19 vaccination.

Keywords: COVID-19; adverse effects; ocular inflammation; uveitis; vaccination.

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References

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