The Lancet recently (11/01/24) published a study which evaluated whether COVID-19 vaccination prevents long COVID symptoms and compared effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 vaccines. Large-scale electronic health records were analyzed from the UK, Spain, and Estonia.
Vaccinated individuals were significantly less likely to report long COVID symptoms 90-365 days after infection compared to unvaccinated individuals. The first vaccine dose provided a 46-59% reduction in long COVID risk across the cohorts.
The BNT162b2 vaccine showed slightly greater effectiveness than ChAdOx1 in preventing long COVID symptoms based on UK data, though the difference was not statistically significant.
The results consistently demonstrate COVID-19 vaccination, particularly the first dose, substantially reduces the risk of developing long-term COVID-19 symptoms. This highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent persistent post-COVID conditions.
In summary, this large real-world study provides evidence that COVID-19 vaccines, especially mRNA vaccines, are effective in preventing long COVID. Widespread vaccination could significantly reduce long-term COVID-19 burdens. Further research is warranted on optimal timing and additional doses.
The full study can be read here.