Additional Coverage:
- COVID-19 patients with reduced kidney function, are vaccinated more likely to survive (abcnews.go.com)
New Study Shows COVID-19 Vaccines Protect Kidney Function and Improve Survival Rates
A new study published in Kidney Medicine offers compelling evidence of the protective benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for kidney health. Researchers at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine found that vaccinated individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and acute kidney injury fared significantly better than their unvaccinated counterparts.
The study examined approximately 3,500 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2022. Of those, 972 developed acute kidney injury, a sudden decline in kidney function. Comparing outcomes for vaccinated and unvaccinated patients within this group revealed striking differences.
Vaccinated patients were considerably less likely to require dialysis after discharge and had a substantially higher survival rate, both during hospitalization and in long-term follow-up. Specifically, unvaccinated patients were over five times more likely to die in the hospital and nearly five times more likely to die during the follow-up period. They were also over two and a half times more likely to require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), a form of dialysis, after leaving the hospital.
Lead author Dr. Niloofar Nobakht stressed the significance of these findings, stating that COVID-19 vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of long-term kidney problems and death. She urged individuals to discuss vaccination with their doctors, emphasizing its potential to prevent the need for dialysis, a procedure that can severely impact quality of life.
While acknowledging the study’s limitations, such as insufficient data on COVID-19 illness severity, the authors emphasized that all patients included were sick enough to warrant hospitalization. Dr. Nobakht also highlighted the need for continued research to better understand the complex relationship between COVID-19 and kidney health.
This study’s release coincides with recent controversial decisions by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding COVID-19 vaccines, including their removal from the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule and changes to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. These actions underscore the ongoing debate surrounding vaccination policies.