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. 2023 Jan-Feb;44(1):103669.
doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2022.103669. Epub 2022 Oct 20.

Audiological and vestibular symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 5-11 years

Mirko Aldè  1 , Federica Di Berardino  2 , Umberto Ambrosetti  3 , Stefania Barozzi  4 , Gioia Piatti  5 , Diego Zanetti  6 , Lorenzo Pignataro  7 , Giovanna Cantarella  8
Affiliations

Audiological and vestibular symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 5-11 years

Mirko Aldè et al. Am J Otolaryngol. 2023 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study assessed the prevalence of audio-vestibular symptoms following SARS-COV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination among children, comparing the two groups. A further aim was to evaluate whether children with pre-existing unilateral hearing loss were more prone to adverse events.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included children aged 5-11 years with normal hearing or a proven history of unilateral hearing loss who contracted SARS-CoV-2 or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Tinnitus, hyperacusis, aural fullness, otalgia, otorrhea, new-onset hearing loss, vertigo and dizziness were investigated as possible complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 vaccine.

Results: This study included 272 children (143 boys, 129 girls), with a mean age of 7.8 ± 2.3 years. Among these, 120 were affected by pre-existing unilateral hearing loss. The most common audio-vestibular symptoms reported by children following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination were aural fullness (33/132, 25 %) and dizziness (5/140, 3.6 %), respectively. All symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination resolved within 24 h. Compared to children who received the COVID-19 vaccine, those infected with SARS-CoV-2 had a higher prevalence of tinnitus (p = 0.009), hyperacusis (p = 0.003), aural fullness (p < 0.001), otalgia (p < 0.001), otorrhea (p < 0.001), and vertigo (p = 0.006). Two girls also experienced new-onset unilateral sensorineural hearing loss following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Children with a known history of unilateral hearing loss did not have a higher prevalence of audio-vestibular symptoms than children with normal hearing.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and can be recommended for children with unilateral hearing loss without fear of possible audio-vestibular sequelae.

Keywords: Balance disorders; COVID-19 vaccination; Children; SARS-CoV-2 infection; Unilateral hearing loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest/competing interests.

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