This file photo shows vials of British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 4 (Korea Bizwire) — People who have received COVID-19 vaccines are less likely to contract other major diseases compared to those who have not been vaccinated, a study showed Monday.
A research team from the Korea National Institute of Health, under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, tracked approximately 12.3 million patients who tested positive for COVID-19 between January and April of the previous year.
The team conducted a comparative analysis of the risk of contracting 27 major illnesses.
The data revealed that individuals who received more than two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had a reduced likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases, thrombosis, kidney failure, respiratory diseases, liver cirrhosis, and diabetes compared to those who had not been vaccinated.
For example, individuals who received more than two doses were 54 percent less likely to experience a heart attack compared to their unvaccinated counterparts.
The risk of interstitial lung diseases also showed a significant decrease of 62 percent.
Furthermore, the risks of heart failure, arrhythmia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were reduced by 36 percent, 22 percent, and 26 percent, respectively.
When comparing individuals who received the vaccine twice with those who received it three times, an additional dose further decreased the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
