COVID-19 Vaccination and The Eye

PURPOSE: To summarize the current evidence on COVID-19 vaccine-associated ocular adverse events. DESIGN: Narrative literature review. METHODS: The literature search was conducted in August 2021 using 4 electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Population-based pharmacovigilance surveillance data were retrieved from all governmental agencies participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) Programme for International Drug Monitoring with publicly available online adverse event databases in English. RESULTS: A small number of case reports have documented uveitis flares and acute corneal graft rejection occurring within the first 3 weeks following immunization, while isolated cases of optic neuropathies, retinal conditions, scleritis, and herpetic eye disease have also been highlighted. However, data from population-based pharmacovigilance surveillance systems suggest that the prevalence of vaccination-associated ocular adverse events are very rare. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination-associated ocular adverse events are rare, and there is currently no substantive evidence to counterweigh the overwhelming benefits of COVID-19 immunization in patients with pre-existing ophthalmic conditions.