I feel the NBC headline is misleading. (In essence, the COVID-19 vaccination helps decrease damage to the kidneys by the virus. — Not terribly surprising.)
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/vaccinated-patients-hospitalized-with-covid-linked-acute
Vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-linked acute kidney injury less likely to need dialysis, and more likely to survive, after discharge
June 12, 2025
Vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who developed acute kidney injury had better outcomes than unvaccinated patients with the same condition, new research suggests. The study found vaccinated patients were less likely to stay on dialysis after discharge, and more likely to survive, than unvaccinated patients.
Acute kidney injury, or AKI, is common among people infected with COVID-19, with rates running as high at 46%. It can lead to a mild decrease in kidney function or, if severe enough, to dialysis. The long-term renal and survival outcomes of these patients, however, has not been well understood.
The findings, to be
published June 13 in the peer-reviewed journal Kidney Medicine, suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can reduce long-term kidney function decline and mortality risk, said lead author
Dr. Niloofar Nobakht, health sciences clinical associate professor of medicine in the
division of nephrology at the
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is an important intervention that can decrease the chances of developing complications from the COVID-19 infection in patients hospitalized with acute kidney injuries,” Nobakht said. “It is important for individuals to discuss the benefits of getting vaccinated for COVID-19 with their doctors as it can decrease the chances of needing dialysis, which can severely affect the quality of life of patients and lead to further complications including death.”
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