COVID- 19 vaccination reduces new-onset fibromyalgia risk in survivors

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of new-onset fibromyalgia (FM), which not only significantly impacts patients’ quality of life but also places a substantial burden on healthcare systems. However, no studies have yet investigated whether COVID-19 vaccination may mitigate the risk of developing new-onset FM in individuals who have survived COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the potential effect of COVID-19 vaccination in reducing the risk of new-onset FM among COVID-19 survivors. Methods: We utilized the data resources from the TriNetX platform to compare 90,508 COVID-19 survivors who received the COVID-19 vaccine with 90,508 unvaccinated survivors. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). The incidence was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis method. Furthermore, we conducted detailed subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses. Results: The cohort analysis of the present study revealed a significant reduction in the risk of new-onset FM among COVID-19 survivors who received the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to the unvaccinated group (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71–0.99). Notably, the results of the subgroup analysis indicated that the COVID-19 vaccine exerted a protective effect against the development of new-onset FM in males, individuals with a body mass index (BMI) < 30, and those with comorbid depression and anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination may play a protective role in reducing the risk of new-onset FM among COVID-19 survivors. The findings may indicate the importance of targeting vaccination to specific subgroups, such as males, individuals with lower BMIs, and those with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. This approach may enhance the protective effects of the vaccine and further reduce the incidence of long-term health complications associated with COVID-19. Further research is needed to validate these observations.