Mixed results for research into COVID-19 vaccines and hearing loss

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-02-25 03:00

International

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A study out of Israel has suggested there may be a weak link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden hearing loss, while a second, larger study from the US found no association between the two. The Israeli study took data from a health organisation on about 2.6 million people vaccinated with Pfizer, with 91 cases of sudden hearing loss recorded within 21 days of vaccination. The researchers say the rate of sudden hearing loss was slightly higher than the rate among the Israeli population before the pandemic, suggesting a possible but small association. In the US study, researchers looked at the CDC Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System during a period where over 185 million vaccine doses were given. With 555 reports of sudden hearing loss during this time, the researchers say there was no association between vaccines and the condition. In a commentary piece, US researchers say both studies show the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the possible hearing loss risk.

Media release

From: JAMA

Paper 1

What The Study Did: The results of this analysis of 185 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines administered in the U.S. suggest there is no association between vaccination and the development of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, commonly known as sudden deafness.

Paper 2

What The Study Did: This study of 2.6 million patients in Israel suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine might be associated with an increased risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, commonly known as sudden deafness; however, the effect size is very small. Further studies are warranted to establish this possible association.

Attachments

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Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Research JAMA, Web page Paper 1 - The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Research JAMA, Web page Paper 2 - The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Paper 1: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA. Paper 2: Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, Israel

Funder: Paper 1: Dr Lee reported receiving personal fees from 3NT Medical and income and personal fees from Frequency Therapeutics outside the submitted work. Dr Quesnel reported receiving grants from Frequency Therapeutics and Grace Medical and personal fees from Frequency Therapeutics, and owning a patent for a protective drape to mitigate aerosol spread during otologic surgery (licensed to Grace Medical) outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported. Paper 2: None reported.

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