Chandelier
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Optimizing the schedule of BNT162b2 COVID-19 against long COVID and associated quality of life losses
Participants were categorized into groups based on the number of doses received prior to infection.
We compared these groups over time in terms of reporting post-COVID symptom clusters and QoL, using population-average and mixed-effects regression models, respectively.
Of these, 1377 (28.61%) report a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, while 3432 (71.39%) report a negative result.
After adjustment for potential confounders, receiving at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to infection is associated with a 34% reduction in the likelihood of reporting at least one long COVID symptom cluster compared to being unvaccinated (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.66, p = 0.022).
Pre-infection vaccination is also associated with higher quality of life (QoL) scores (β = 0.07, p < 0.001).
The estimated vaccine effectiveness of three pre-infection doses against long COVID over a two-year period is 26.5% (95% CI: 10.8–39.4).
This protective effect remains stable over time. In contrast, vaccination received after infection shows no association with long COVID symptoms or QoL outcomes.
The longer-term durability of this protection, the role of reinfection, and the influence of emerging viral variants remains to be investigated.
In this study, we followed over 4800 individuals in Northern Israel for up to two years to understand how COVID-19 vaccination affects the risk of developing long COVID and changes in quality of life.
We found that individuals who received at least three vaccine doses before getting infected were less likely to report long COVID symptoms and had better quality of life.
In contrast, vaccination after infection showed no benefit.
These findings suggest that timely vaccination offers protection against long COVID, reinforcing the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 boosters.
Web | Communications Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01160-7
Kuodi, Paul; Shibli, Haneen; Zayyad, Hiba; Wertheim, Ofir; Wiegler, Karine Beiruti; Jabal, Kamal Abu; Dror, Amiel A.; Nazzal, Saleh; Glikman, Daniel; Charlett, Andre; Edelstein, Michael
Abstract
Background
The long-term impact of COVID-19 vaccination on post-acute COVID-19 symptoms and associated quality of life (QoL) changes remains incompletely described. This study aimed to explore the impact of the timing of COVID-19 priming and booster doses, on reporting long COVID symptoms and associated QoL changes.Methods
Individuals who had PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 processed in government hospitals in Northern Israel between 15th March 2021 and 15th June 2022 were invited to answer serial online surveys collecting information on SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination status and post-acute symptoms every 3-4 months for two years.Participants were categorized into groups based on the number of doses received prior to infection.
We compared these groups over time in terms of reporting post-COVID symptom clusters and QoL, using population-average and mixed-effects regression models, respectively.
Results
A total of 4809 individuals are enrolled and respond to up to five follow-up surveys.Of these, 1377 (28.61%) report a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, while 3432 (71.39%) report a negative result.
After adjustment for potential confounders, receiving at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to infection is associated with a 34% reduction in the likelihood of reporting at least one long COVID symptom cluster compared to being unvaccinated (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.66, p = 0.022).
Pre-infection vaccination is also associated with higher quality of life (QoL) scores (β = 0.07, p < 0.001).
The estimated vaccine effectiveness of three pre-infection doses against long COVID over a two-year period is 26.5% (95% CI: 10.8–39.4).
This protective effect remains stable over time. In contrast, vaccination received after infection shows no association with long COVID symptoms or QoL outcomes.
Conclusions
Receiving at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection provides a sustained protective effect against long COVID and its negative impact on quality of life for at least two years.The longer-term durability of this protection, the role of reinfection, and the influence of emerging viral variants remains to be investigated.
Plain language summary
Vaccination has played a key role in protecting people from COVID-19, but its impact on long-term symptoms or long COVID has been less clear.In this study, we followed over 4800 individuals in Northern Israel for up to two years to understand how COVID-19 vaccination affects the risk of developing long COVID and changes in quality of life.
We found that individuals who received at least three vaccine doses before getting infected were less likely to report long COVID symptoms and had better quality of life.
In contrast, vaccination after infection showed no benefit.
These findings suggest that timely vaccination offers protection against long COVID, reinforcing the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 boosters.
Web | Communications Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01160-7