Vaccination significantly reduces long COVID risk in youth, new study confirms

A groundbreaking study led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that unvaccinated children and adolescents were up to 20 times more likely to develop long COVID than their vaccinated peers. Published in Lancet eClinicalMedicine, the study underscores that the primary protection afforded by COVID-19 vaccines lies in preventing infection itself, rather than mitigating the severity or likelihood of post-acute sequelae once infection has occurred. Unraveling long COVID in the young Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), continues to challenge researchers and clinicians alike. Characterized by lingering symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and shortness of breath weeks or even months after acute infection, long COVID remains poorly understood, with no universally effective treatment available. According to CDC estimates, as of mid-2022, approximately 7.5% of Americans, and over 9% of women, reported symptoms consistent with long COVID. The Penn-led study offers one of...