We’re starting to get to the point where fully vaccinated people are getting infected with the novel coronavirus as the delta variant continues to spread. But will people who are fully vaccinated suffer the long-term effects of the coronavirus?
Do fully vaccinated people get long COVID?
Dr. Keith W. Roach, an internist in New York, recently answered this question for an article that has been circulating throughout the country.
Roach said “long COVID” is possible in fully vaccinated people — but there isn’t enough data yet to conclude the idea.
- “There isn’t enough data to answer your question based on evidence. I suspect it is possible to get persistent post-COVID symptoms even after vaccination since none of the COVID-19 vaccines is perfect (nothing is, in medicine),” Roach said in his article.
However, the recent data shows there’s a drop in symptoms among the fully vaccinated, which means it’s unlikely fully vaccinated people might experience symptoms.
- “I am hopeful that the COVID vaccines will be analogous to what we see with the shingles vaccine — it reduces the likelihood of getting shingles, but also reduces the likelihood of long-term complications from shingles, even in those who get shingles despite the vaccine. However, this is a guess until there are good studies,” he said.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine stop long COVID symptoms?
There’s some research out there that the coronavirus vaccine can help people recover from long COVID symptoms, too. In fact, a survey of more than 800 people from May 2021 found that the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and others can lessen the impact of long COVID-19 symptoms.
The study said 56.7% of people in the study experienced an improvement in their long COVID-19 symptoms. Meanwhile, about 24.6% said their long COVID-19 symptoms went unchanged and 18.7% said there was “a deterioration in their symptoms,” per The Guardian.
- “It’s a phenomenon that doctors and scientists are watching closely, but as with much about the yearlong coronavirus pandemic, there are many uncertainties,” according to The New York Times.