Pfizer COVID Vaccine May Lead to Vision Loss, Scientists Say
The study, titled Evaluation of the Effects of mRNA-COVID 19 Vaccines on Corneal Endothelium, focused on the changes in the endothelium, the cornea's inner layer, before and after receiving the Pfizer dose. The scientists examined the changes in 64 people's Endothelium before they received their first Pfizer dose and two months after they received their second dose.
The results revealed that taking both doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine led to fewer endothelial cells in the eye, thicker corneas, and variations in the sizes of these specialized cells, which form the endothelium. The patients did not suffer from clear vision problems during the study. But the results showed that the Pfizer vaccine may temporarily weaken the endothelium.
Pfizer COVID Jab and Vision Loss
During the study, the researchers found out that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine led to a roughly two percent increase in micrometers in a patient's cornea. The vaccine caused the patients' cornea thickness to increase from roughly 0.0208 inches to 0.0213 inches, or from 528 to 542 micrometers.
Eye Test Pixabay/Paul Diaconu
The scientists also found that the participants lost around eight percent in the average number of endothelial cells, which keep the cornea clear by pumping out excess fluid. The study revealed that the patients' endothelial cells dropped from 2,597 to 2,378 cells per square millimeter.
Though the normal endothelial cell counts range between 2000 and 3000 cells per square millimeter in healthy adults, an individual with a low cell count due to a disease, infection, or previous eye surgery could be at risk of losing their vision.
The Impact
These small changes may not lead to vision loss in people with healthy eyes in the short term. A slightly thicker cornea may not be harmful because it can temporarily thicken due to fluid buildup, inflammation, or stress on the endothelium from injuries to the eyes or minor illness.
Eye Pixabay/Jonas Zareinia
However, if the cornea remains thick for months or years, it may affect vision by making the cornea less clear. If the researchers find that the impact could last for years, the changes may lead to blurry vision or corneal swelling, especially in individuals who had a corneal transplant or with pre-existing eye problems.
A reduced cell density and thicker cornea could lead to eye conditions, such as corneal decompensation, bullous keratopathy, or corneal edema. These eye conditions could contribute to permanent vision loss if left untreated.
"The endothelium should be closely monitored in those with a low endothelial count or who have had a corneal graft," the scientists warned in the new study, published in the Ophthalmic Epidemiology journal.
Eye Test Pixabay/Paul Diaconu
When and How to Check Endothelial Count?
An individual with eye discomfort or blurry vision can check if the cornea's cells are healthy by consulting an eye doctor. The doctor uses a special microscope called specular microscopy to test if the patient has a low endothelial cell count.
Several factors, such as eye surgeries, infections, or injuries, eye diseases like Fuchs' dystrophy, and aging, can lead to low endothelial cell count. These factors may damage the cells that are responsible for keeping the cornea clear. Another important factor is that these cells don't grow back.
The researchers studied 64 pairs of eyes for this study. The participants took part in the study before they received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. A follow-up was done with the group almost 75 days after they received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Each participant went through a full eye exam, including scans of the eye's front and back parts, tests for eye pressure, and vision sharpness for ensuring overall eye health.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
2 days ago
- International Business Times
Pfizer COVID Vaccine May Lead to Vision Loss, Scientists Say
The COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer may lead to vision loss and increase the risk of eye damage, according to a new study. The shocking discovery was made by a group of scientists in Turkey. Through their research, the scientists specifically focused on how this vaccine affected the patients' corneas, the front part of the eye that allows light to enter. The study, titled Evaluation of the Effects of mRNA-COVID 19 Vaccines on Corneal Endothelium, focused on the changes in the endothelium, the cornea's inner layer, before and after receiving the Pfizer dose. The scientists examined the changes in 64 people's Endothelium before they received their first Pfizer dose and two months after they received their second dose. The results revealed that taking both doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine led to fewer endothelial cells in the eye, thicker corneas, and variations in the sizes of these specialized cells, which form the endothelium. The patients did not suffer from clear vision problems during the study. But the results showed that the Pfizer vaccine may temporarily weaken the endothelium. Pfizer COVID Jab and Vision Loss During the study, the researchers found out that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine led to a roughly two percent increase in micrometers in a patient's cornea. The vaccine caused the patients' cornea thickness to increase from roughly 0.0208 inches to 0.0213 inches, or from 528 to 542 micrometers. Eye Test Pixabay/Paul Diaconu The scientists also found that the participants lost around eight percent in the average number of endothelial cells, which keep the cornea clear by pumping out excess fluid. The study revealed that the patients' endothelial cells dropped from 2,597 to 2,378 cells per square millimeter. Though the normal endothelial cell counts range between 2000 and 3000 cells per square millimeter in healthy adults, an individual with a low cell count due to a disease, infection, or previous eye surgery could be at risk of losing their vision. The Impact These small changes may not lead to vision loss in people with healthy eyes in the short term. A slightly thicker cornea may not be harmful because it can temporarily thicken due to fluid buildup, inflammation, or stress on the endothelium from injuries to the eyes or minor illness. Eye Pixabay/Jonas Zareinia However, if the cornea remains thick for months or years, it may affect vision by making the cornea less clear. If the researchers find that the impact could last for years, the changes may lead to blurry vision or corneal swelling, especially in individuals who had a corneal transplant or with pre-existing eye problems. A reduced cell density and thicker cornea could lead to eye conditions, such as corneal decompensation, bullous keratopathy, or corneal edema. These eye conditions could contribute to permanent vision loss if left untreated. "The endothelium should be closely monitored in those with a low endothelial count or who have had a corneal graft," the scientists warned in the new study, published in the Ophthalmic Epidemiology journal. Eye Test Pixabay/Paul Diaconu When and How to Check Endothelial Count? An individual with eye discomfort or blurry vision can check if the cornea's cells are healthy by consulting an eye doctor. The doctor uses a special microscope called specular microscopy to test if the patient has a low endothelial cell count. Several factors, such as eye surgeries, infections, or injuries, eye diseases like Fuchs' dystrophy, and aging, can lead to low endothelial cell count. These factors may damage the cells that are responsible for keeping the cornea clear. Another important factor is that these cells don't grow back. The researchers studied 64 pairs of eyes for this study. The participants took part in the study before they received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. A follow-up was done with the group almost 75 days after they received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Each participant went through a full eye exam, including scans of the eye's front and back parts, tests for eye pressure, and vision sharpness for ensuring overall eye health.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
US rejects WHO global pandemic response accord
World Health Organization (WHO) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration WASHINGTON - The United States has rejected an agreement adopted by members of the World Health Organization to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19, the government said on Friday. The Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement they had transmitted on Friday the official U.S. rejection of the legally binding pact, which was adopted in Geneva in May after three years of negotiations. The pact aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access. U.S. negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. - by far the WHO's largest financial backer - from the agency when he took office in January. Its exit means the U.S. would not be bound by the pact. "Developed without adequate public input, these amendments expand the role of the WHO in public health emergencies, create additional authorities for the WHO for shaping pandemic declarations, and promote WHO's ability to facilitate 'equitable access' of health commodities," the U.S. statement said. "Terminology throughout the 2024 amendments is vague and broad, risking WHO-coordinated international responses that focus on political issues like solidarity, rather than rapid and effective actions," said the statement, jointly issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who has a long history of sowing doubt about vaccine safety, had slammed WHO in a video address to the Assembly during its vote, saying it had failed to learn from the lessons of the pandemic with the new agreement. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore What is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Asia Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4½ years in sugar graft case Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student accused of using AI in essay; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 7-year-old girl, cabby taken to hospital after vehicle pile-up in City Hall area Singapore Former NUH male nurse charged after he allegedly molested man at hospital Kennedy and Rubio said on Friday that the rejection protects U.S. sovereignty. The pact leaves health policy to national governments and contains nothing that overrides national sovereignty, however. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
In rural Canadian town, new risk of measles deepens vaccine tensions
Find out what's new on ST website and app. AYLMER, Ontario - In the Canadian town of Aylmer, where Mennonites in traditional dress walk down the main street alongside secular locals, bitter divisions over vaccine scepticism that arose during Covid-19 have intensified with the re-emergence of measles. Mennonites are members of a Protestant sect, originating from the 16th century reformation. Anabaptists and Mennonite are a group believing in adult baptism, as opposed to infant baptism. Canada, which officially eradicated measles in 1998, has registered over 3,500 cases in 2025 and the United States is confronting its worst measles epidemic in 30 years, with the UN warning of the global risk as misinformation and lack of funding impact vaccination rates. Different communities in Canada have been hit, but experts link the brunt of the outbreak to anti-vaccine Anabaptist groups in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta. Growing up in Aylmer, a bucolic town surrounded by farmland in south-western Ontario, Mr Brett Hueston said he didn't give much thought to the differing world views among the town's religious and secular residents. That changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump diagnosed with vein condition causing leg swelling: White House World Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. What is it? Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs here Asia Appointment of Malaysia's new chief justice eases controversy over vacant top judge seats for now Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore Singapore SPCA appoints Walter Leong as new executive director World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business Granddaughter of late Indonesian tycoon pays $25 million for Singapore bungalow 'I grew up, perhaps naively, thinking that we were all sort of on the same page as a community,' said Mr Hueston, 40, whose family publishes the 145-year-old local paper, the Aylmer Express. ' Covid-19 really exploited whatever differences there were,' he told AFP. Aylmer was a pandemic flashpoint. The town has 13 churches, a substantial number given its roughly 8,000 population. A major congregation – the Aylmer Church of God that sits on an expansive, well-manicured grounds – enthusiastically defied some lockdown restrictions. The church's pastor, Henry Hildebrandt, tried to challenge the rules in the supreme court, before agreeing in 2022 to pay a C $65,000 ( S$60,750 ) fine for gathering people to worship. Mr Hildebrandt said he admitted 'to one count of obeying God rather than man,' asserting that he had knowingly broken the law. Mr Hueston said 'when measles came up, I thought, I know where this is going.' 'Everybody thinks... Mennonites are (all) anti-vaxers. It certainly isn't the case, but there's certainly a conservative part of this end of the county that is strongly anti-vaxer, and I don't quite understand it,' he told AFP. Difficult to watch Dr Michelle Barton heads the infectious diseases division at the Children's Hospital at the London Health Sciences Center, south-western Ontario's main referral hospital. She's seen some of the most serious pediatric measles cases in 2025 and told AFP observing the recurrence of a once eradicated virus has been 'difficult to watch.' She noted that not every case can be tied to unvaccinated Mennonites. Infections have also occurred among new immigrants from the developing world who, for various reasons, did not keep up with immunisations after settling in Canada, including due to an acute family doctor shortage. Dr Barton said it was long clear 'pockets of unvaccinated people' made the region vulnerable to measles. She recounted a range of attitudes towards vaccines among Mennonite families. Some mothers, when confronted with how sick their children had become, voiced openness to vaccinating their other children, only to back away, fearing consequences from their husband or pastor, Dr Barton told AFP. 'They don't want to go against the grain of their culture, and they don't want to go against the (church) elders,' she said. She also voiced sympathy for a Mennonite community that faced 'resentment' from some healthcare workers, who at times displayed frustration over having to respond to an entirely preventable outbreak. Dr Barton said she hoped the relationships forged between medical staff and vaccine- sceptical families could improve acceptance, and she encouraged public health officials to persist in trying to bring church leaders on board. Wall of lies For Dr Alon Vaisman, an infectious diseases doctor at Ontario's University Health Network, officials must keep trying, regardless of opposition. 'From a public health perspective we ought not to accept anything to be insurmountable when it comes to vaccine campaigns.' Child vaccination rates remain below where they need to be, making another viral outbreak, including measles, possible, Dr Vaisman said. 'There really needs to be more of an effort,' he told AFP, conceding the difficulty of finding a successful path forward. 'You're fighting against the wall of disinformation and lies,' he said. AFP
