Tinnitus has been one of the reported effects of receiving the covid vaccine in the UK, but the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) has put the risk in perspective using figures from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
From the early administration of 31.6m first doses, and 5.5m second doses of the two SARS-CoV2 vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/Astra Zeneca) used up to the time of the safety update report of March 5, 2021, there were 1,545 reports of tinnitus made through the yellow card scheme for registering adverse effects. In an informative page on its website, the BTA asserts that ˝this means that fewer than 1 in 24,000 people are affected which classifies this side effect as very rare.
The classification is in line with the scale used by the NHS for medicines, whereby very rare means fewer than one in ten thousand people affected.
Underlining the MHRA statement that “the expected benefits of the vaccines in preventing Covid-19 and serious complications associated with Covid-19 far outweigh any currently known side effects,” the BTA urges anyone worried about side effects from the vaccine to discuss their concerns with their GP or the medical professionals at the vaccine centre.
From all Covid vaccines administered in the UK up to March 5, a total of a total of 176,439 yellow cards reporting adverse effects were received.
Source: BTA