COVID vaccines found to cut risk of heart failure, blood clots after virus infection

COVID-19 vaccines were found to cut the risk of heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% following COVID infection, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.

The positive health effects lasted for up to a year and were more pronounced right after getting vaccinated.

“While there has been concern about the risk of myocarditis and other thromboembolic events following vaccination, this analysis highlights that the risk of such complications is notably higher when it comes from the SARS-CoV-2 infection itself,” said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News Medical contributor.

Researchers looked at over 20 million people in Europe; half of them were vaccinated against the virus, and half were not. Vaccines included in the research were Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

During the period of study, researchers looked at the original strain of the virus and the Delta variant.

COVID vaccines reduced the risk of blood clots in the veins by 78% within a month of obtaining the dose, according to the researchers' findings. It also reduced the risk of blood clots in the arteries by 47% and heart failure by 55%, the study found.

Researchers said COVID vaccines reduced the risk of a blood clot in the vein by 47%, a blood clot in an artery by 28% and heart failure by 39% in the six-month period after vaccination.

“As we consider future vaccine policy, these results add a vital piece to the puzzle, showing that COVID-19 vaccines are a key tool in reducing the risk of long-term health issues following infection,” Brownstein said.

Adults over the age of 65 are now able to get an additional updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against severe hospitalization and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .