(LEGAFI) -- One of the nation's largest eye care companies, CooperVision, has issued another massive recall alert of more than a half-million Avaira Toric contact lenses after coming under pressure from federal health regulators.

 

The CooperVision recall is the second in two months of more than 600,000 Avaira Toric contact lenses that have been linked to pain, red eye and blurred vision by wearers. CooperVision first announced the Avaira Toric recall in August, but focused that recall on alerting eye care professionals who sell the lenses, not consumers.

 

The Food and Drug Administration said this week that a larger effort was needed to alert consumers to the defective Avaira Toric lenses, which contain a residue caused by a manufacturing problem. More than 8 million lenses are affected by the problem, said the FDA, but only 600,000 made it onto the U.S. market.

 

CooperVision said it "has fully cooperated with the FDA and continues to closely monitor the situation," adding that it is not aware of any permanent eye or vision damage linked to the defective Avaira Toric lenses. However, the company did admit that reports of hazy vision and discomfort have continued since it first announced the contact lens recall.

 

CooperVision said it plans to relaunch the recalled Avaira Toric lenses later this year after the FDA signs off on manufacturing changes.

 

Consumers who experience hazy or blurry vision from wearing the recalled Avair Toric contact lenses should immediately remove them and contact their eye care practitioner to let them know they are experiencing symptoms.

 

Consumers with questions about the CooperVision Avaira Toric Contact Lens Recall should contact CooperVision's Customer Care Center at (855) 526-6737. A recall website has also been set up to help consumers determine if the Avaira Toric lenses they are wearing are included in the recall: www.CooperVision.com/recall.