Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences have revealed that COVID-19 vaccines were effective in reducing the risk of long COVID symptoms.
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) and supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, offers valuable insights to better inform public health strategies and worldwide vaccination campaigns.
Published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the study extensively analysed primary care electronic health records from the UK, Spain and Estonia, involving data from more than 20 million vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
The team also identified cases of long COVID based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) specific criteria, particularly focusing on adults who were registered for around 180 days in each country.
According to WHO, long COVID is the continuation or development of new symptoms up to three months after the initial COVID-19 infection, with symptoms lasting for at least two months.
Affecting around one in ten people, persistent symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, exercise intolerance and cognitive dysfunction.
After testing eight different COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer/BioNTech’s BNT162b2 vaccine and Oxford/AstraZeneca’s (AZ) ChAdOx1 vaccine, researchers “were able to demonstrate how the vaccines prevented the development of persistent COVID symptoms,” said Dr Annika Jodicke, senior pharmacoepidemiologist, University of Oxford.
Results from the study demonstrated a significant decrease in the occurrence of long COVID among vaccinated individuals in comparison to those who were unvaccinated.
Dr Marti Catala, senior data scientist, University of Oxford, explained: “Our findings were consistent across the three countries and many different populations, emphasising the critical role that vaccination plays in protecting individuals from the long-term consequences of COVID-19.”
Furthermore, after comparing different vaccinations, the team found that Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine “provided better protection against long COVID” in comparison to Oxford/AZ’s, added Jodicke.
The study was funded £19.6m by the NIHR through a call to research long COVID prevention and treatment in 2021.
Last November, WHO and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London identified a Core Outcome Measure Set, to accelerate the understanding and development of treatments for long COVID with major global impacts.