The World Health Organization is examining rare reports of hearing loss and other auditory issues following Covid-19 vaccinations.
In a newsletter posted on its website, the international public health agency said that it has been made aware of sudden hearing problems, particularly tinnitus, or ringing of the ears, that may be associated with Covid vaccines.
The WHO reported 367 cases of tinnitus and 164 cases of hearing loss globally among people who had received a Covid-19 vaccine, usually within a day of the shot. That’s out of more than 11 billion doses of Covid vaccine given worldwide, so the hearing problems seem to be extremely rare.
People who reported tinnitus ranged in ages from 19 to 91, and nearly three-quarters were women. The reports came from 27 countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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A spokesperson from Pfizer later told NBC News that the company found “no causal association” between its Covid vaccine and reports of tinnitus.
The WHO newsletter said that the possible link warrants awareness among physicians as well as patients.
“As there is still only limited data in the literature providing evidence for this link, further monitoring is required,” the WHO authors wrote.
