Scientists are investigating a new condition believed to be caused by Covid vaccination – dubbed ‘Long Vax’.
Experts at Harvard and Yale are studying the debilitating suite of problems that appear hours, days or weeks after getting a shot but can persist for months.
Experts stress the condition is extremely rare, relatively mild compared to severe Covid and that the benefits of vaccination likely outweigh the risks – for example, getting vaccinated significantly lowers the risk of ‘Long Covid’.
They do not want the issue to be seized upon by the anti-vax movement that has gained momentum during the pandemic.
Patients with so-called Long Vax appear to suffer symptoms similar to Long Covid — including headaches, intense tiredness, and abnormal heart rate and blood pressure. However, some symptoms appear unique to the vaccine-induced condition – such as tingling, burning pain and blood circulation issues.
The true number of people affected is not yet known, but anecdotally, doctors are seeing dozens of patients coming in with symptoms that align with the condition.
Dr Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale, is leading a study of around 2,000 people into the issue.
He admits it is controversial because the Covid vaccines have saved millions of lives. And studies show the jabs also lower the risk of long Covid by around a third, making the issue even more nuanced.
For comparison, long Covid is relatively common, with one in eight adults who get infected with the virus suffering symptoms months after clearing the acute illness, according to the CDC.
The huge benefit of Covid vaccination and the toxic anti-vax movement has left scientists uncomfortable about speaking up about Long Vax, according to Dr Krumholz, who includes himself in that.
He said he feared any studies into the issue being seized upon by conspiracy theorists. But after observing a rising number of cases of Long Vax, he said: ‘I’m persuaded that there’s something going on [with these side effects].
‘It’s my obligation, if I truly am a scientist, to have an open mind and learn if there’s something that can be done.’
Dr Anne Louise Oaklander, a neurologist and researcher at Harvard Medical School, echoed his comments.
She told Science: ‘You see one or two patients [with possible Long Vax] and you wonder if it’s a coincidence. But by the time you’ve seen 10, 20… Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’
Long Covid is thought to be caused by persistent pieces of the Covid virus lurking in the body or an overreactive immune system unable to reset itself.
Read More: Harvard and Yale scientists investigate new condition dubbed ‘Long Vax’
