Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare in Helsinki found that the COVID-19 vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of sudden deafness. The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
A previous large study found an increased risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss following vaccination against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The new study used data from 5.5 million people in Finland. The authors found no evidence of an increased risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss after COVID-19 vaccination. The study took into account previous illnesses and other risk factors.
The researchers considered only the presence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in patients, but did not consider the extent and consequences, which can be both minor and reversible, severe and permanent. Therefore, further studies are needed in settings that allow assessment of the degree of hearing loss.