Muhammed Fatih BARAN, Durmuş Ali ASLANLAR, Mustafa Önder GÖNEN
Kastamonu Medical Journal - 2026;6(3):194-202
Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate whether vaccination, as one of the most critical preventive measures against infectious diseases, has an impact on the quality of life post-infection. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the effects of different vaccine types used in the prevention of COVID-19 on post-infection quality of life. Methods: This single-center observational study included adults hospitalized with COVID-19 who were evaluated at a follow-up center one month after discharge. Participants were assessed at two visits one month apart. Quality of life was evaluated using the SF-12 Quality of Life Scale, and findings were compared according to vaccination status and vaccine type. Results: The study was completed with 98 participants aged 28-87 years, with a mean age of 56+/-13.0 years. While physical health scores did not differ significantly between the two follow-ups in the unvaccinated group, a significant improvement was observed among vaccinated participants (p=0.027). Among the vaccinated group, physical health scores showed no significant difference between the two follow-ups for mRNA vaccine recipients, but a significant improvement was observed for those who had received inactivated vaccines (p=0.015). The number of complaints decreased significantly in both vaccine groups. Positive correlations were found between the values of the SF-12 scale across the two follow-ups (p<0.05). Conversely, negative correlations were observed between SF-12 scores and the number of complaints at both follow-ups (p<0.001). A positive correlation was also noted between the number of complaints across the two follow-ups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Vaccination was associated with improvement in some quality-of-life parameters during follow-up after hospitalization for COVID-19. Differences between vaccine types should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in larger studies.
