MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to develop “Long COVID Syndrome” in the event that they contract the virus, the director of the National Institutes of Health reports.
NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins published a blog post Tuesday, noting that these findings were published in a recent study out of the United Kingdom.
Long COVID Syndrome can cause symptoms such as muscle pain, fatigue and brain fog that last for months after initial infection with coronavirus.
Dr. Collins stated that 1 in 20 people with COVID-19 in the UK reported having Long COVID-19 symptoms for 8 weeks or more, but this was before vaccines were available to most residents.
Researchers continued the study between Dec. 9, 2020 and July 4, 2021, finding that more than 1 million adults became fully vaccinated during that timeframe.
Dr. Collins noted 0.2% of people who were fully vaccinated later tested positive for COVID-19, also known as a breakthrough infection.
Researchers also found that those who had a breakthrough case were about half as likely as those who are unvaccinated to report Long COVID-19 symptoms that lasted for at least four weeks after their infection.
Researchers stated that symptoms in those who were vaccinated were also milder and less frequently reported than those who are unvaccinated.
Dr. Collins added that health officials still have “a lot to learn” about Long COVID and will study tens of thousands of people who have had COVID-19 to learn more.
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