Immune Systems Advisor

Scientists from New Zealand have uncovered the first case of a rare eye disease linked to both the COVID-19 vaccine and the virus itself, a new study published in the Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection reveals. A 28-year-old otherwise healthy patient was diagnosed with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) after complaining of vision problems just two days after receiving her second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The woman’s symptoms included dark blind spots, phantom light flashes, and overall decreased vision—all specific to her right eye. According to  the study , doctors discovered that the vision in her right eye went from 20/20 to 20/50. In addition, her eye tissue was torn, optic nerves were swollen, and multiple pale-colored lesions were scattered throughout the back of her eye. A) Wide-field color fundus photo; B) Fundus infrared image of the right eye; C) OCT macula in a patient with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome associated with COVID...

People who received a COVID-19 vaccine have an increased risk of a serious eye problem, according to a new study. The risk of retinal vascular occlusion “increased significantly” after a first or second dose of the messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines, researchers reported in a study published by Nature (2023). The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines both use mRNA technology. Retinal vascular occlusion refers to the blockage of veins or vessels that carry blood to or from the retina. It can cause sudden vision loss. Out of 207,626 Pfizer vaccine doses administered in the population that was studied, 226 cases of the eye problem were detected after two years. Among 97,918 Moderna vaccine doses administered, 220 cases were detected over the same time. While some cases were detected among AstraZeneca recipients, the risk wasn’t statistically significant. The risk of retinal vascular occlusion was 3.5 times for vaccinated people compared to an unvaccinated group after 12 ...

New Hampshire state Rep. Mike Belcher, a Republican, has been suffering from ocular migraines for almost two years. He took his first Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA immunization in April 2021, and things haven’t been the same since. About 12 hours after the shot, Belcher recalled developing symptoms of severe flu. Neurological symptoms manifested in a matter of days. One unusual symptom stood out: His vision became strange. He started to notice that the red and green color balance in his eyes would shift, and dark spots would appear in his field of vision. Belcher would soon be tormented with painful headaches preceded by a blinding light that would cause searing pain at the back of his eyes. He also experienced more serious symptoms, including impaired balance (he was unable to walk in a straight line) and memory problems. After being transferred from specialist to specialist, Belcher was finally hospitalized in May 2021. “I was hospitalized for maybe four days, and I was discharged with th...