Table 2.

Otorhinolaryngologic adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination by age.

Adverse effects	Completed primary series									Updated bivalent booster
	0–17 years		18–49 years		50–64 years		65+ years		P value	0–17 years		18–49 years		50–64 years		65+ years		P value
	n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR		n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR	n(%)	IR
Hearing loss	155(3.79)	0.692	429(2.94)	0.437	885(4.53)	1.678	804(5.01)	1.576	<0.001	3(1.85)	0.098	17(6.32)	0.111	36(6.37)	0.264	79(4.83)	0.338	<0.001
Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears)	166(4.06)	0.741	724(4.96)	0.738	3,384(17.33)	6.417	2,056(12.8)	4.029	<0.001	9(5.56)	0.294	12(4.46)	0.078	81(14.34)	0.593	109(6.67)	0.466	<0.001
Ear infections (Otitis Media)	27(0.66)	0.121	49(0.34)	0.05	98(0.5)	0.186	76(0.47)	0.149	<0.001	5(3.09)	0.163	7(2.6)	0.046	21(3.72)	0.154	26(1.59)	0.111	<0.001
Meniere’s disease	1(0.02)	0.004	2(0.01)	0.002	19(0.1)	0.036	20(0.12)	0.039	1	0	0	1(0.37)	0.007	0	0	2(0.12)	0.009	1
Vestibular neuronitis	2(0.05)	0.009	10(0.07)	0.01	24(0.12)	0.046	15(0.09)	0.029	<0.001	1(0.62)	0.033	1(0.37)	0.007	2(0.35)	0.015	6(0.37)	0.026	0.672
Dizziness or vertigo	3,291(80.5)	14.695	11,582(79.32)	11.799	11,978(61.33)	22.715	9,849(61.33)	19.3	<0.001	120(74.07)	3.915	159(59.11)	1.039	217(38.41)	1.589	537(32.86)	2.294	<0.001
Sinusitis	21(0.51)	0.094	76(0.52)	0.077	265(1.36)	0.503	284(1.77)	0.557	<0.001	3(1.85)	0.098	5(1.86)	0.033	32(5.66)	0.234	132(8.08)	0.564	<0.001
Rhinitis (Allergic and Non-allergic)	2(0.05)	0.009	13(0.09)	0.013	24(0.12)	0.046	26(0.16)	0.051	<0.001	0	0	2(0.74)	0.013	2(0.35)	0.015	3(0.18)	0.013	0.978
Epistaxis	127(3.11)	0.567	247(1.69)	0.252	333(1.71)	0.631	348(2.17)	0.682	<0.001	5(3.09)	0.163	4(1.49)	0.026	4(0.71)	0.029	18(1.1)	0.077	<0.001
Anosmia	53(1.3)	0.237	372(2.55)	0.379	753(3.86)	1.428	599(3.73)	1.174	<0.001	0	0	4(1.49)	0.026	39(6.9)	0.286	98(6)	0.419	<0.001
Nasal Polyps	0	0	2(0.01)	0.002	3(0.02)	0.006	4(0.02)	0.008	0.387	0	0	0	0	1(0.18)	0.007	1(0.06)	0.004	0.875
Snoring or difficulty breathing through the nose and sleep apnea	8(0.2)	0.036	36(0.25)	0.037	64(0.33)	0.121	131(0.82)	0.257	<0.001	1(0.62)	0.033	5(1.86)	0.033	21(3.72)	0.154	71(4.35)	0.303	<0.001
Allergies	147(3.6)	0.656	664(4.55)	0.676	963(4.93)	1.826	998(6.21)	1.956	<0.001	7(4.32)	0.228	34(12.64)	0.222	33(5.84)	0.242	67(4.1)	0.286	<0.001
Tonsillitis	3(0.07)	0.013	22(0.15)	0.022	11(0.06)	0.021	6(0.04)	0.012	0.607	0	0	2(0.74)	0.013	0	0	0	0	0.262
Laryngitis	1(0.02)	0.004	10(0.07)	0.01	36(0.18)	0.068	28(0.17)	0.055	<0.001	0	0	3(1.12)	0.02	8(1.42)	0.059	32(1.96)	0.137	<0.001
Vocal cord polyps and nodules	0	0	1(0.01)	0.001	10(0.05)	0.019	6(0.04)	0.012	0.001	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (Acid Reflux)	3 (0.07)	0.013	26(0.18)	0.026	83(0.43)	0.157	39(0.24)	0.076	<0.001	0	0	1(0.37)	0.007	1(0.18)	0.007	9(0.55)	0.038	0.127
Epiglottitis	0	0	1(0.01)	0.001	2(0.01)	0.004	1(0.01)	0.002	0.745	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pharyngitis	81 (1.98)	0.362	335(2.29)	0.341	594(3.04)	1.126	768(4.78)	1.505	<0.001	8(4.94)	0.261	12(4.46)	0.078	67 (11.86)	0.491	444(27.17)	1.897	<0.001
Any IR	4,088	18.253	14,601	14.875	19,529	37.035	16,058	31.467	<0.001	162	5.285	269	1.758	565	4.138	1,634	6.981	<0.001
Sample size	22,396,020		98,160,420		52,731,727		51,031,000			3,065,181		15,303,884		13,654,874		23,407,228

The data was collected from the VAERS and the CDC Covid-19 vaccinations data tracker as of August 30, 2023. The Incidence Rate(IR) per 100,000 was measured based on subjects with complete primary series vaccination and updated bivalent booster of COVID-19 vaccinations in the US. The sample size was from the CDC Data Tracker. P value was by chi-square, which tests the difference in AEs distribution according to age group.