W.H.O Examining Potential Hearing Problems Linked To Covid-19 Vaccines

World Health Organisation (WHO), says it is examining reports of hearing loss and other auditory issues following COVID-19 vaccinations.

The global health body made this known in a newsletter posted on its website on Tuesday.

W.H.O said it was notified about sudden hearing problems, particularly tinnitus or ringing of the ears that may be associated with COVID-19 vaccines.

W.H.O reported 164 cases of hearing loss and 367 cases of tinnitus globally among people who had received a COVID-19 vaccine, usually within a day of the shot.

“Of the 164 cases of hearing loss, four also described the feeling of numbness of the face on the affected side. In two narratives, the patients had consulted an ENT physician and received a potential diagnosis of labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis,” WHO said.

“In five cases with information on the recovery of hearing following steroid treatment, two reported recovery after three days of steroids, and another experienced hearing loss subsiding spontaneously after the first COVID-19 vaccine dose, but requiring steroid treatment after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose, with partial recovery (report was received 18 days post-vaccination).

“A fourth case described mild improvements with steroid treatment (report received five days post-vaccination) and another had mild improvements five days after steroid treatment (report received 17 days post-vaccination).

“Of the 164 cases, at the time of the report 51 (31 per cent) were recovering or recovered from their symptoms and 50 (30 per cent) had not recovered. In the remaining 63 (38 per cent) cases no outcome information was recorded.”

The newsletter further explained that 268 out of the 367 people who reported tinnitus were females, while 92 males and sex was missing in seven.