COVID vaccines protect more than just your physical health - here's how

• Author: Walla!
• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Being vaccinated gives someone a clear, unequivocal benefit: protection against severe morbidity and a sharp reduction in the risk of dying from COVID-19 if infected. Even if this was the only advantage, the vaccine would be a miracle. But recently, studies have emerged that point to several secondary benefits of this vaccine, and one is surprising.

Vaccinated people may feel significant improvement in their mental health, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS One. Researchers monitored and tracked participants who received the first dose of any of the three corona vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer) between December 2020 and March 2021.

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They found that those who had been vaccinated were less likely to suffer from mild to moderate depression symptoms compared with those unvaccinated, including people who wanted to be vaccinated but couldn't be during the study – which was conducted near the start of the global vaccination campaign, at a time when risk groups received priority, and not everyone in each age group could be vaccinated.

Corona epidemic and mental health

Surveys and studies conducted worldwide since the start of the pandemic indicate a clear, sharp rise in mental health problems resulting from this global health crisis. Health and welfare authorities also reported an increase in requests for help and treatment from people who didn't previously suffer problems that cause anxiety, such as unemployment.

Even before COVID-19, mental health experts linked health and well-being concerns to increasing levels of stress and anxiety. The pandemic's spread worldwide caused even generally healthy people to suddenly begin to experience anxiety and feel concerned for their health, which significantly increased cases of stress, depression and anxiety.

How does the vaccine help?

Anxiety caused by the pandemic has other causes, besides health concerns.

For example, many suffered from stress and anxiety that the pandemic...