A recent peer-reviewed study published in the prestigious journal Nature has found a higher risk of retinal vascular occlusion following COVID-19 vaccination.
The researchers demonstrated that “the risk of retinal vascular occlusion, except for CRAO, has been promptly observed in individuals receiving vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.”
This could have potential implications for individuals with a history of retinal vascular occlusion or those taking medications that may alter blood osmolarity.
Retinal vascular occlusion is a condition that affects the blood vessels of the retina, leading to vision loss.
The study discovered that “the overall risk of retinal vascular occlusion in the vaccinated cohort was 2.19 times higher than that in the unvaccinated cohort at 2 years (95% Cl 2.00–2.39).”
Furthermore, the risk was more pronounced in those who received the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines in comparison to those who received the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine.
The researchers acknowledged that the risk factors for retinal vascular occlusion include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, and stroke.
In their study, they “appropriately balanced the baseline characteristics in both cohorts before analysis” to ensure the reliability of the results.
The study also found that “the risk of branch retinal vascular occlusion was greater at 6 and 3 days for BRAO and BRVO, respectively.
In contrast, the probability of central retinal vascular occlusion was greater at 15 and 45 days for CRAO and CRVO.”
The authors suggested that this might be due to “direct embolism” for BRAO and BRVO, while “VITT secondary to immunization” could be the cause for CRAO and CRVO.
Despite these findings, the researchers pushed for COVID vaccination, claiming that taking the jab “is the most effective method for preventing the spread” of the virus.
However, research published in The Lancet has confirmed that natural immunity acquired from a coronavirus infection can provide strong and long-lasting protection against severe illness and death, that study signifying the largest meta-analysis to date on immunity following infection, analyzing data from 65 studies in 19 countries.
The Lancet found that, for all variants, infection-acquired immunity reduced the risk of hospitalization and death from a COVID reinfection by 88.9% for at least 10 months, asserting that “[p]rotection from past infection against re-infection from pre-omicron variants was very high and remained high even after 40 weeks.”
While the authors of the Nature publication recommended that individuals without a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine be vaccinated, they also suggested that “patients on medications that may alter blood osmolarity should be aware of this possibility of adverse effects.”
The researchers concluded by calling for further research to establish a definitive link between retinal vascular occlusion and COVID-19 vaccines, stating that “additional research is required to draw a solid conclusion regarding the association between retinal vascular occlusion and COVID-19 vaccines.”
Read the full study below:
