Vaccination and Its Effects on Long COVID-19 Prevalence, Severity, and Clinical Outcomes: A Literature Review

Abstract

Long COVID is a heterogeneous condition characterized by persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection and represents an important public health concern. COVID-19 vaccination has been widely implemented, yet its association with long-term post-COVID outcomes remains incompletely understood. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and Long COVID, focusing on prevalence, symptom severity, and clinical outcomes. Available studies suggest that vaccination may be associated with a lower risk of Long COVID and reduced symptom burden in breakthrough infections, although findings are variable across populations and study designs. Age and pre-existing comorbidities consistently emerge as relevant factors that may influence observed associations. Overall, existing evidence supports a potential protective association of vaccination with Long COVID outcomes, while emphasizing the need for further longitudinal studies with standardized definitions and outcome measures.

Keywords:

Long COVID, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 vaccination, symptom severity, clinical outcomes

References

CDC. Long COVID. 2025 [cited 2026 Jan 13]. Long COVID Basics. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/long-covid/about/index.html

National Academies of Sciences E, Division H and M, Health B on G, Policy B on HS, Covid C on E the WD for L, Goldowitz I, et al. Introduction. In: A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences [Internet]. National Academies Press (US); 2024 [cited 2026 Jan 13]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK605678/

Hou Y, Gu T, Ni Z, Shi X, Ranney ML, Mukherjee B. Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Sep 1;12(9):ofaf533.

CDC. Respiratory Illnesses. 2026 [cited 2026 Jan 13]. Vaccination Trends. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/vaccination-trends.html

Byambasuren O, Stehlik P, Clark J, Alcorn K, Glasziou P. Effect of covid-19 vaccination on long covid: systematic review. BMJ Med. 2023 Feb 1;2(1):e000385.

Kim Y, Bae S, Chang HH, Kim SW. Characteristics of long COVID and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on long COVID 2 years following COVID-19 infection: prospective cohort study. Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 9;14(1):854.

Tofarides AG, Christaki E, Milionis H, Nikolopoulos GK. Effect of Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on Long COVID-19: A Narrative Review. Life. 2022 Dec 8;12(12):2057.

Patel V, Korsun M, Cervia J. Protective effects of booster dose of SARS-COV-2 vaccination against post-acute COVID-19 syndrome: A systematic review. J Investig Med Off Publ Am Fed Clin Res. 2025 Dec;73(8):606–13.

Guimarães GN, Brunetti NS, De Lima DG, Proenca-Modena JL, Farias AS. Vaccination and COVID-19: impact on long-COVID. Front Immunol. 2025;16:1686572.

Zhang D, Chen C, Xie Y, Zhou S, Li D, Zeng F, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of long COVID-19 persisting for 2 years in Hainan Province: a population-based prospective study. Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):369.

Tsampasian V, Elghazaly H, Chattopadhyay R, Debski M, Naing TKP, Garg P, et al. Risk Factors Associated With Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Jun 1;183(6):566–80.

Guimarães GN, Brunetti NS, De Lima DG, Proenca-Modena JL, Farias AS. Vaccination and COVID-19: impact on long-COVID. Front Immunol [Internet]. 2025 Nov 19 [cited 2026 Jan 26];16. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1686572/full