Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42288736›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026

Effectiveness of seasonal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination against post COVID-19 condition between July 2023 and September 2024 among adults aged ≥ 60 years in Germany: a population-based cohort study.

Nita Perumal, Caroline Peine, Annika Steffen, Ole Wichmann, Thomas Harder

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Nita PerumalImmunization Unit, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany. PerumalN@rki.de.
Caroline PeineImmunization Unit, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Annika SteffenImmunization Unit, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Ole WichmannImmunization Unit, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Thomas HarderImmunization Unit, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSome individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 experience long-term symptoms, termed post COVID-19 condition (PCC). Pandemic-era studies have demonstrated moderate effectiveness of COVID-19-vaccines in preventing PCC. However, as population immunity has evolved and variant-adapted vaccines have been introduced, estimates of vaccine effectiveness and disease frequency from the post-pandemic era are needed to guide policy-making and communication.

methodsWe investigated whether one mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose during the 2023/2024 season was associated with reduced PCC risk in the following six months among adults aged ≥ 60 years in Germany. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using nationwide, outpatient claims data and performed descriptive and Poisson regression analyses.

resultsIn our cohort of 19,121,674 patients, 3,437,701 (18.0%) received one dose of a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine and 36,830 fulfilled the PCC case definition (incidence: 0.2%). Vaccinated individuals were older (median age 75 years) compared to those who were not vaccinated (71 years), with a higher proportion being female (54% vs. 46% male). 0.08% of vaccinated patients were diagnosed with PCC during study follow-up, compared to 0.22% non-vaccinated. One vaccine dose was associated with lower risk (adjusted Risk Ratio 0.37; 95% CI 0.36-0.39) of receiving a PCC diagnosis at six months post-vaccination compared to no vaccination, translating to a vaccine effectiveness of 63%.

conclusionOur results demonstrate a low PCC-incidence and a strong protective association between seasonal COVID-19 vaccination and PCC during the first post-pandemic season. These findings can help improve acceptance of COVID-19-vaccines and support doctors' and patients' decision-making regarding vaccination.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesVaccine EfficacyAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2SeasonsVaccinationCOVID-19 VaccinesCohort studyCOVID-19GermanyImmunisationLong COVIDVaccine effectiveness

Identifiers

PMID42288736
PMCPMC13264817

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.