COVID-19 Vaccination and Uveitis: Epidemiology, Clinical Features and Visual Prognosis

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To study the epidemiological and clinical features of uveitis post-COVID-19 vaccination.

Patients and Methods

Retrospective chart review of patients presenting with uveitis after COVID-19 vaccination in tertiary uveitis services.

Results

In total, 25 patients, 76% females, mean age 43.2 years, were included. Uveitis occurred after Pfizer, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca and Covaxin vaccination. Anterior uveitis was the most frequent type of uveitis (56%). History of uveitis was found in 19 cases (76%), among whom 90.9% of the tested patients developed anti-Sars-CoV-2 spike antibodies after vaccination. In a mean follow-up of 5 months, one-line decrease in visual acuity was found in 12% of patients. During post-vaccine uveitis, 15.8% of cases needed an increase in their systemic therapy. According to Naranjo score, new-onset uveitis had a higher probability of being associated with vaccination (p < .01).

Conclusion

COVID-19 vaccination can cause uveitis but has no significant impact on the visual prognosis after resolution.

KEYWORDS:

• Adverse events
• COVID-19 vaccination
• side effects
• uveitis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.