Corneal Inflammation May be a Complication of Chicken Pox Vaccine

Keratitis, or inflammation of the cornea can cause serious complications or even permanent damage to the vision if left untreated.

A vaccine for chickenpox and shingles which has been in use for more than 20 years can cause corneal inflammation in some patients, revealed a new study.

The finding suggests that primary care physicians should be aware of possible vision side-effect of the varicella zoster virus vaccine on patients with a history of eye inflammation.

Vaccine Reduces Hospitalizations Due to Chickenpox
New research has revealed the effectiveness of the chickenpox vaccine in Australia, which has had a record breaking reduction in the number of hospitalizations due to severe chicken pox,

‘Chicken pox vaccine or varicella zoster virus vaccine can cause a serious side effect called as keratitis (corneal inflammation).’

However, the researchers recommended that the majority of patients still be regularly vaccinated against chickenpox and shingles.

"Keratitis, or inflammation of the clear layer on the front of the eye, is a vision issue that can cause serious complications or even permanent damage to your vision if left untreated," said Frederick Fraunfelder, chair of the department of ophthalmology at University of Missouri School of Medicine in the US.

"By studying case reports from national and international registries, we found at least 20 cases of keratitis occurred in children and adults within a month of administration of the chickenpox and shingles vaccine," Fraunfelder said.

Varicella Vaccine Has Long-term Effectiveness Against Chicken Pox, Says Study
According to a recent study chicken pox has been largely neutralized by the varicella vaccine.

While this is a rare occurrence, it is important for physicians to know when giving the vaccine to individuals who have a history of the condition because it could be reactivated by the vaccine," Fraunfelder noted.

Fraunfelder is the director of the National Registry of Drug-induced Ocular Side Effects, an international effort to gather information on adverse ocular events associated with drugs, chemicals or herbs.

Contact Lenses Alter Good Bacteria in the Eye and Increase Risk of Infections
Many cases of potentially scarring bacterial keratitis, or eye inflammation, as well as conjunctival infections occur among those who use contact lenses.

The registry collects data from the US Food and Drug Administration spontaneous reporting database, the WHO spontaneous reporting database and reports from physicians who submit to the registry.

A review of the database and previously published reports found 20 cases of keratitis with a close relationship to administration of the vaccine. For adults, symptoms of keratitis developed within 24 days of vaccination. For pediatric patients, symptoms of inflammation developed within 14 days.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis - Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis & Treatment
Acanthamoeba keratitis is an eye infection affecting the cornea. Contact lens users are at higher risk of getting infected, than non-contact lens users.

The study was presented at the 2015 meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Las Vegas.

Source-IANS