Scientists have discovered that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may increase the risk of eye damage, leading to vision loss.
The new study specifically examined how the vaccine affected patients’ corneas, the clear front part of the eye that allows light to enter.
In 64 people, scientists in Turkey measured changes in the cornea’s inner layer, called the endothelium, before taking the first Pfizer dose and two months after receiving the second.
Results revealed that taking both doses of the vaccine led to thicker corneas, fewer endothelial cells in the eye and more variation in size of these specialized cells that form the endothelium.
In the short term, these changes suggest the Pfizer vaccine may temporarily weaken the endothelium, even though patients didn’t suffer clear vision problems during the study.
For people with healthy eyes, these small changes likely won’t affect vision right away.
However, if scientists find that these changes last for years, they could lead to corneal swelling or blurry vision, especially in those with pre-existing eye problems or people who have had a cornea transplant.
A thicker cornea and reduced cell density could contribute to eye conditions like corneal edema, bullous keratopathy, or corneal decompensation, which can all cause permanent vision loss in severe cases, especially if left untreated.