COVID-19 Vaccines Protective Against Long COVID, Studies Show
COVID-19 Vaccines Show Promise in Preventing Long COVID, Studies Find
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New research suggests that COVID-19 vaccines offer significant protection against long COVID, notably in preventing initial infection.
Two large-scale studies, one focusing on children and teens in the U.S. and the othre on adults in Japan, provide encouraging evidence about the role of vaccination in mitigating the risk of long COVID. Both studies were conducted during periods when the Omicron variant was dominant,with the U.S. study also examining the Delta variant’s impact.
Preventing Long COVID by Stopping Infections
The first study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analyzed data from 20 U.S. health systems, encompassing over 386,000 children and adolescents. Researchers found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was highly effective in preventing long COVID, particularly during the delta wave.Effectiveness against long COVID:
Adolescents (12-20 years) during Delta: 95.4%
Children (5-11 years) during Omicron: 60.2%
Adolescents (12-20 years) during Omicron: 75.1%
The study’s authors emphasized that the vaccine’s primary benefit in preventing long COVID stemmed from its ability to reduce the risk of initial COVID-19 infection.
“The higher effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine during the Delta phase, relative to the Omicron period, can be attributed both to its protection against Delta infections and to the fact that the primary benefit of the vaccine on long COVID stems from its capacity to prevent infections,” the authors concluded.
Three or More Doses Linked to Less Long COVID in Women
A separate study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection focused on adults in Japan. Researchers found that receiving three or more COVID-19 vaccine doses was associated with a 30% lower probability of experiencing long COVID symptoms in women.
This protective effect was observed specifically in women and was not seen in men.Notably, the study also found that women with three or more doses reported fewer neurological symptoms compared to unvaccinated participants.
Key Findings:
Participants with three or more doses: 30% lower probability of long COVID symptoms (women only)
* Participants with three or more doses: Fewer neurological symptoms (women only)
while these studies offer promising insights into the potential of vaccines to mitigate long COVID risk, further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the role of vaccination in preventing its lingering consequences.
COVID-19 Vaccines show Promise in Preventing Long COVID, Studies Find
New research suggests that COVID-19 vaccines offer significant protection against long COVID, notably in preventing initial infection.
Two large-scale studies, one focusing on children and teens in the U.S. and the other on adults in Japan, provide encouraging evidence about the role of vaccination in mitigating the risk of long COVID. Both studies were conducted during periods when the Omicron variant was dominant, with the U.S. study also examining the Delta variant’s impact.
Preventing Long COVID by Stopping Infections
The first study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analyzed data from 20 U.S. health systems, encompassing over 386,000 children and adolescents. Researchers found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was highly effective in preventing long COVID, particularly during the delta wave.
Effectiveness against long COVID:
Adolescents (12-20 years) during Delta: 95.4%
children (5-11 years) during Omicron: 60.2%
Adolescents (12-20 years) during Omicron: 75.1%
The study’s authors emphasized that the vaccine’s primary benefit in preventing long COVID stemmed from its ability to reduce the risk of initial COVID-19 infection.
“The higher effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine during the Delta phase, relative to the Omicron period, can be attributed both to its protection against delta infections and to the fact that the primary benefit of the vaccine on long COVID stems from its capacity to prevent infections,” the authors concluded.
Three or More Doses Linked to less Long COVID in Women
A separate study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection focused on adults in Japan. Researchers found that receiving three or more COVID-19 vaccine doses was associated with a 30% lower probability of experiencing long COVID symptoms in women.
This protective effect was observed specifically in women and was not seen in men. Notably, the study also found that women with three or more doses reported fewer neurological symptoms compared to unvaccinated participants.
Key Findings:
Participants with three or more doses: 30% lower probability of long COVID symptoms (women only)
* Participants with three or more doses: Fewer neurological symptoms (women only)
While these studies offer promising insights into the potential of vaccines to mitigate long COVID risk, further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the role of vaccination in preventing its lingering consequences.