The vaccine is effective in fighting against Long COVID-19, according to a new study by the United Kingdom (UK) Health Security Agency.  Those who received a shot or two and the booster are less likely to develop severe symptoms, including a headache, muscle weakness, persistent pain, hair loss, dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste or lung scarring, among others.  Its effectiveness is generally determined through observational studies from patients who became infected with the virus.  Unfortunately, even those vaccinated can develop symptoms.“There is also evidence that unvaccinated people with long COVID who were subsequently vaccinated had, on average, reduced long COVID symptoms, or fewer long COVID symptoms than those who remained unvaccinated,” according to the report.A Penn State study that published in last year (2021) collected data on unvaccinated adults and children infected with COVID-19 between December 2019 and March 2021 and found more than half “experienced symptoms like weight loss, fatigue, fever, or pain for one to six months after their infections.  One in four reported difficulties concentrating, and one in five found it harder to get around.  The majority of people surveyed for the study experienced serious cases of COVID-19, with 79% needing hospitalization for their initial infection.”  Another 2021 study from PLOS Medicine found about a third of people who caught COVID-19 still experienced symptoms “three to six months after infection.”

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“‘Long COVID’ covers a wide range of post-COVID conditions and so we don’t yet fully understand all the processes involved,” said Deborah Dunn-Walters, chair of the British Society for Immunology’s COVID-19 Taskforce. “The immune system is thought to play a role in symptom development in a significant number of cases, likely as a result of an overreactive and/or slightly misdirected immune response during the acute COVID infection,” she said..In addition, three studies comparing long COVID symptoms before and after the vaccination found that most people reported an improvement in symptoms.  Some individuals, however, described being worse off.  Whether a person will be better or worse off depends largely on underlying symptoms, including those who are immune-compromised, overweight, or elderly.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all ages receive the vaccine.Scientists aren’t yet sure why vaccination leads to an improvement in symptoms for some people. Additional research is being conducted.“The term ‘long COVID’ covers a wide range of post-COVID conditions and so we don’t yet fully understand all the processes involved,” Deborah Dunn-Walters, chair of the British Society for Immunology’s COVID-19 Taskforce, told the Science Media Center.  The immune system is thought to play a role in symptom development in a significant number of cases, likely as a result of an overreactive and/or slightly misdirected immune response during the acute COVID infection,” she said.

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Covid-19: Vaccinated people are less likely to get long COVID, review findsThe Guardian: “Vaccination reduces chance of getting long COVID, studies find.”Science Media Centre: “Expert reaction to UKHSA rapid evidence review on vaccination and long COVID.Vaccination Reduces Chance of Getting Long COVID, Studies Say