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Ophthalmic surgery complications to H1N1 vaccine reported anecdotally
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The H1N1 vaccine may have immune-related ophthalmic consequences in specific cases, according to anecdotal reports.
"Recently, graft rejection occurred in two of my patients who received the vaccination 2 weeks before. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue in public at the AAO meeting, and other surgeons said they had similar cases," Jorge L. Alió, MD, PhD, of Vissum Corporation in Alicante, Spain, said in an interview with Ocular Surgery News.
Cases of graft rejection following vaccination for influenza have been previously reported, but the new H1N1 vaccine seems to cause faster onset and more acute immune reactions.
Dr. Alió expressed concern about the potential consequences of the H1N1 vaccination in refractive surgery patients.
"The increased immune response may lead to a series of inflammatory-related complications," he noted.
The ophthalmic community should be alerted of the possible complications, he said.
"Any of us having problems with potentially H1N1 vaccine-related corneal rejections or refractive surgery complications should report and divulgate the information as much as possible. A large number of people will be vaccinated for swine flu in the next few months. Therefore, candidates to corneal transplantation and refractive surgery must be warned of the potential risks of receiving H1N1 vaccination prior to the procedure," Dr. Alió said.