COVID Vaccines Linked to Lower Heart Risk, Major Study Reveals

WHO:

statnews.com - Ziyad Al-Aly, a doctor and clinical researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, led the study.

statnews.com - Robert Califf, a cardiologist and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, wrote an accompanying commentary on Al-Aly’s findings.

statnews.com - Ryan Wiegand and researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted another study.

statnews.com - Bill Hanage, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University, commented on the studies.

WHAT:

statnews.com - A study found that recent Covid vaccination appears to have broad cardioprotective effects, reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, hospitalization, and death.

statnews.com - The study followed more than 1 million veterans, with about a third receiving a Covid vaccine.

statnews.com - Those who received Covid vaccines had a roughly 38% lower risk of Covid-associated major cardiovascular events.

statnews.com - Covid vaccination was tied to a nearly 24% reduction in all-cause cardiac events.

statnews.com - The authors estimated this could prevent approximately 3,500 major cardiac events and 2,400 deaths annually per 1 million people.

statnews.com - The effectiveness of 2024-2025 Covid vaccines in the U.S. was evaluated, showing a 41% effectiveness against critical illness for adults 18 years and older.

statnews.com - A study indicated approximately 55% effectiveness in protecting older European adults from symptomatic disease in the two months after vaccination.

WHERE:

statnews.com - The study followed veterans at Veterans Affairs health care facilities in the U.S.

statnews.com - The study evaluating older European adults was conducted across multiple European countries.

WHEN:

statnews.com - The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine on a Monday.

statnews.com - The study followed veterans who received flu vaccinations in 2024.

WHY:

statnews.com - Infection with SARS-CoV-2 is known to increase the risk of adverse cardiac events.

statnews.com - Al-Aly noted that Covid is still prevalent in the general population, leading to unrecognized heart problems.

HOW:

statnews.com - The study compared outcomes between veterans who received Covid vaccines and those who did not, analyzing the incidence of cardiovascular events.

(UPDATED June 15, 2026 23:38 UTC)

A recent study led by Ziyad Al-Aly at Washington University in St. Louis found that recent Covid vaccination has broad cardioprotective effects, significantly reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, hospitalization, and death among veterans. The research, which followed over 1 million veterans, indicated that those who received Covid vaccines had a roughly 38% lower risk of major cardiovascular events and a nearly 24% reduction in all-cause cardiac events, potentially preventing thousands of major cardiac incidents and deaths annually. Additionally, the effectiveness of the 2024-2025 Covid vaccines was evaluated, showing a 41% effectiveness against critical illness for adults 18 years and older, while a separate study found about 55% effectiveness in protecting older European adults from symptomatic disease shortly after vaccination.