COVID-19 vaccines found effective in reducing long COVID symptoms
A recent study has revealed the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing long COVID
15 Jan 2024
While vaccines have proved effective to prevent severe COVID-19, their impact to prevent long-term symptoms have not yet been fully understood. A research team at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford has found that vaccination against COVID-19 consistently reduced the risk of long COVID symptoms.
The study conducted extensive analyses using primary care electronic health records from the UK, Spain, and Estonia. The team examined data from more than 20 million vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and identified cases of long COVID based on specific criteria. The study focused on adults who were registered for at least 180 days in each respective country. Across the different cohorts analyzed, the researchers observed a significant decrease in the occurrence of long COVID among vaccinated individuals compared to those who were unvaccinated.
Dr. Annika Jodicke, senior pharmacoepidemiologist and study co-lead, said, “We were able to demonstrate how both vaccines prevented the development of persistent COVID symptoms. Additionally, we compared different vaccinations and found that the BNT162b2 vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer) provided better protection against long COVID compared to the ChAdOx1 vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca).” The study offers valuable insights to inform public health strategies and vaccination campaigns worldwide.