COVID-19: Long-COVID and Vaccines

Guest article contributed by Audra Stewart-Gordon, Community Health and Communications Coordinator

Covid-19 Research Updates - January 2024

There are several new scientific developments regarding COVID-19 that might be useful to know, given that we are in a big wave right now.

Recommendations for an updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccine were based on lab and some human data. Vaccine effectiveness data is rolling in:

·       70% effectiveness against hospitalization (preprint; Netherlands; among 60+ year-olds previously vaccinated).

·       Another study found significant added protection for (at least) 30 days against emergency department use, outpatient use, and hospitalization. (Kaiser; among those over 18 years.)

Why does all of this matter?

If you’re current on vaccines, you can be confident it provides additional protection.  A recent study also showed that the more vaccines you get, the less likely you will get long-term COVID-19 (or long covid).

There has been a lack of real-world effectiveness data among children lately; however, evidence is flooding in now.

·       Vaccines were highly effective against infection and severe disease across all pandemic periods. For example, there was 73% vaccine effectiveness against severe disease among adolescents. The risk difference was 2 per 10,000 adolescents vaccinated.

·       Vaccines are safe. The rate and cause of sudden cardiac death in young people was not due to vaccines during the pandemic. 

If you have any questions regarding the efficacy, access, and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit http://www.cdc.gov for more information. If you have questions about which vaccine is suitable for you, don't hesitate to get in touch with your healthcare provider.