June 13, 2023 - Published by The Vaccine Reaction Newsletter
by Marco Caceres - Opinion
Following the publication of a study in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery on Feb. 24, 2022 that found a possible association between Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 shot and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), The Vaccine Reaction published an article about the study. The retrospective cohort study involved 2 ,602, 557 patients in Israel and concluded that there was a slight increased risk of developing SSNHL from Comirnaty.1
Shortly after publication of the study, it was reported that vaccinologist and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, Gregory M. Poland, MD had called for further research into the link between COVID vaccination and hearing loss, as well as other auditory conditions such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears). In 2021, Dr. Poland suffered a sudden and severe onset of tinnitus just 90 minutes after getting a second dose of an mRNA COVID shot. The Vaccine Reaction covered that story as well.2 3 4
Nearly 20,000 Reports of People Developing Tinnitus After COVID Vaccination
Based on data from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) on Mar. 4, 2022, 19,630 people had reported developing tinnitus after a COVID shot—up from 12,247 cases reported through Sept. 14, 2021. An analysis of VAERS data published in Annals of Neurology found tinnitus to be among the most commonly reported adverse events following vaccination.4
In another study published in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery on Feb. 11, 2022 by a team of researchers from Dow University of Health Sciences and Gandhara University in Pakistan and Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, the authors theorized:
The heptapeptide resemblance between coronavirus spike glycoprotein and numerous human proteins further supports molecular mimicry as a potential mechanism behind such vaccine-induced disorders.
Therefore, understanding the phenomenon of cross-reactivity and molecular mimicry may be helpful in postulating potential treatment behind not only tinnitus but also the rare events of vaccination associated hearing loss and other otologic manifestations.4
The data was starting to point toward a link or at least an association between COVID shots and hearing loss and tinnitus.
CDC Officials Find No Evidence of Link Between COVID Shots and Tinnitus
On Apr. 23, 2023, NBC News reported that a CDC spokesperson stated in an e-mail message that the agency had reviewed the 16,183 VAERS complaints (filed as of Apr. 23) of developing tinnitus after receiving a COVID shot and “did not find any data suggesting a link between COVID-19 vaccines and tinnitus.”5 6 But “Why hasn’t the CDC released its review to the public as it has done for other possible vaccine side effects,” Dr. Poland asked.5
Perhaps an even more curious question is why were there only 16,183 records as of Apr. 23, 2023 when there were 19,630 records on Mar. 4, 2022? Was the higher number merely an honest miscount or did a few thousand VAERS records somehow get deleted over the course of a year?4 6 7
Some Physicians and Scientists Think COVID Shots May Cause Tinnitus
Some physicians, like Dr. Poland, who are concerned that CDC officials do not appear to be taking the reports of tinnitus following COVID vaccination seriously enough, are questioning whether there may, indeed, be a link between the hearing condition and the shot that deserves further investigation. Dr. Poland believes that the virus spike protein in the mRNA COVID shots may be a factor. He speculates:
After mRNA vaccines, there is some level of spike protein that circulates. Could it be much like the spike protein in the heart that leads to myocarditis? Could the same thing happen in the inner ear?8 9
Neurophysiologist Shaowen Bao, PhD of the University of Arizona-Tucson’s College of Medicine believes that the mRNA COVID shots may be “interacting with pre-existing risk factors for tinnitus.” He said that if someone has a risk factor they will “probably get [tinnitus] from the first dose” of the shot. He thinks that developing tinnitus after getting an mRNA COVID shot could be caused by inflammation around the brain or spinal cord.9 10 Bao noted:
Vaccination is an immune response; it could cause inflammation—peripheral inflammation—and peripheral inflammation could affect the brain where the tinnitus is initiated.10
Hamid Djalilian, MD, director of otology, neurotology and skull base surgery at University of California-Irvine said that, while it’s unclear if there is a causal relationship between the mRNA COVID shots and cases of tinnitus, such a link would not be out of the question. He pointed out that tinnitus can be a side effect of the annual influenza vaccine.11
Dr. Djalilian stated:
If the timing works, meaning tinnitus occurs very shortly after being vaccinated among other factors, anything that creates a significant inflammatory reaction in the body can make the brain more sensitive and causes the brain to pay more attention to the ringing sound.11
Marc Siegel, MD, clinical professor of medicine at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, is convinced there is an association between the mRNA COVID shots and tinnitus. “It’s the spike protein from the virus, and we’re making that when we use the vaccine. The vaccine causes the body to make that protein. So, of course, I think there’s an association,” Dr. Siegel said. “I do believe it.”12
A Facebook group called “Tinnitus and Hearing Loss/Impairment after COVID vaccination” is reported to have more than 4,000 members. This group describes itself as being “pro-vaccine” and that it consists of people “who believe they have developed tinnitus or a worsening of tinnitus after receiving the COVID vaccination.”13
Dr. Bao, who is also a representative of the American Tinnitus Association’s scientific advisory board, surveyed 398 of the group’s members and is in the process of analyzing the results, which he expects to eventually publish.13
The Vaccine Reaction - An enlightened conversation about vaccination, health and autonomy
If you would like to receive an e-mail notice of the most recent articles published in The Vaccine Reaction each week, click here.
References:
1 Cáceres M. Hearing Loss and Tinnitus May Be Linked to COVID Vaccination. The Vaccine Reaction Feb. 28, 2022.
2 Henderson J. Vaccine Researcher Who Developed Tinnitus After COVID Shot Calls for Further Study, MedPage Today Mar. 9, 2022.
3 Planet Today. Vaccine researcher develops tinnitus 90 minutes after COVID shot. Mar. 17, 2022.
4 Cáceres M. Vaccinologist Develops Tinnitus After COVID Shot, Calls for More Research. The Vaccine Reaction Apr. 3, 2022.
5 Edwards Erika. Possible links between Covid shots and tinnitus emerge. NBC News Apr. 23, 2023.
6 Bean M. Tinnitus not tied to COVID-19 shots, CDC says. Becker’s Hospital Review Apr. 24, 2023.
7 Children’s Health Defense. Director of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group Suffers from Tinnitus Following COVID vaccine. GlobeNewswire Mar. 17, 2022.
8 Delandro T. Scientists study theory linking COVID vaccine and tinnitus. NewsNation Apr. 24, 2023.
9 Singh A. Hear a ringing in ears? Some say Covid vaccine might be to blame for tinnitus. WION Apr. 24, 2023.
10 Morrison C. Did YOU suffer ringing in the ear after your Covid shot? Thousands say they developed tinnitus after vaccine – now scientists are investigating. DailyMail.com Apr. 24, 2023.
11 Ries J. Is Tinnitus a Side Effect of the COVID-19 Vaccine? What We Know. Healthline May 3, 2023.
12 Fox and Friends. Thousands report ringing in ears after receiving COVID vaccine. Fox News Apr. 24, 2023.
13 Sky News. COVID vaccines could have links with causing tinnitus as new theories emerge. Apr. 24, 2023.
