Research and analysis

COVID-19: the effect of vaccination on transmission and against long COVID

These reviews aim to identify and examine evidence on the effect of vaccination on transmission of COVID-19 and against long COVID.

Documents

The effect of vaccination on transmission of COVID-19: a rapid review

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The effect of vaccination on transmission of COVID-19: a rapid evidence briefing (update 1)

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The effectiveness of vaccination against long COVID: a rapid evidence briefing

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Details

These evidence reviews were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic by the COVID-19 rapid evidence service and were initially published on another website. Their content has not changed from their initial publication.

Two rapid reviews (an original and an update) aimed to identify and examine evidence on the effect of vaccination on the transmission of COVID-19 from people who contract COVID-19 post-vaccination.

1. The initial review was first published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 27 January 2022, with research up to 22 October 2021 and includes:

  • 13 studies assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the transmission of COVID-19
  • 32 studies assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on COVID-19 viral loads
  • 2 studies assessing both outcomes

2. The updated review was initially published by UKHSA on 27 April 2022, with research up to 12 January 2022 and includes:

  • 25 studies assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the transmission of COVID-19 (one study for the Omicron variant, 10 studies for the Delta variant, and 14 studies for pre-Delta variants and wild-type COVID-19)
  • 47 studies assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on COVID-19 viral loads (2 studies for the Omicron variant, 25 studies for the Delta variant, and 20 studies for pre-Delta variants and wild-type COVID-19)

3. One rapid evidence briefing aimed to provide evidence relating to the effectiveness of vaccination against long COVID, both for vaccinations given before infection with COVID-19 (effectiveness against incidence of long COVID), and for vaccinations given after infection with COVID-19 and development of long COVID symptoms (effectiveness for reducing or eliminating symptoms of long COVID). The briefing, initially published by UKHSA on 15 February 2022, with research up to 12 January 2022 and includes:

  • 7 studies examining whether vaccination before infection reduced the symptoms or incidence of long COVID
  • 7 studies examining whether vaccination in people with long COVID reduced or cleared the symptoms of long COVID
  • one study examining both

Updates to this page

Published 27 January 2022

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