The Claim:
A small study of 64 adults found short-term changes in a thin layer of eye cells after two COVID vaccines and said people with low counts or corneal transplants should be checked. Some anti-vaccers claim that the vaccines destroy these non-renewable cells and cause permanent damage.
The Facts:
This analysis is another flawed conclusion looking for an argument. In this case, anti-vaxxers are claiming the vaccines cause permanent damage, yet ignore the study’s conclusions where “changes in corneal endothelium occur in the short term” and weren’t found to be permanent.
A review of the eye after COVID vaccination by the American Academy of Ophthalmology has also shown rare ocular effects. However, those effects are due to an abnormal immune response to the vaccine, and the review notes that “the benefits of receiving the vaccine far outweigh the rare ocular risks.”