Covid Vaccine May Protect Against Severe Kidney Damage, UCLA Study Suggests
Covid vaccine kidney protection: A recent UCLA Health study shows that hospitalized patients face a lower risk of serious kidney damage if vaccinated against Covid. The results, which are based on data from more than 3,000 patients, indicate that those who have received the vaccination require less advanced dialysis.
Study Overview: Lower Dialysis Rates in the Vaccinated
Between March 2020 and March 2022, researchers analyzed over 3,500 electronic medical records of Covid-hospitalized adults. The team compared patients who had received at least two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine—or one dose of Johnson & Johnson—against those who were unvaccinated.
They focused on those who required CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy), a 24-hour dialysis method used in critical care.
- 16% of unvaccinated patients required CRRT
- Only 11% of vaccinated patients required CRRT
- Unvaccinated patients were 2.5x more likely to need CRRT post-discharge and had higher mortality rates
Why Kidneys Are Vulnerable During Covid
Covid doesn’t just affect the lungs—it can damage the kidneys directly or through complications like heart failure or low oxygen levels. Severe cases are more likely to cause acute kidney injury (AKI).
Past studies, including one from Yale, showed:
- 30% of hospitalized Covid patients developed AKI
- They were twice as likely to need dialysis compared to non-Covid patients
Vaccines Don’t Protect Kidneys Directly—They Lower Overall Risk
Experts say vaccines work by preventing severe illness, not by shielding the kidneys directly. Less severe disease means less strain on organs, including the kidneys.
“Vaccination protects kidneys mainly by preventing the severe forms of Covid that cause kidney injury.” — Dr. Yong Chen, University of Pennsylvania
Limitations of the Study
The UCLA study had one major limitation: researchers lacked baseline kidney function data. This means some patients may have had existing kidney disease that skewed results—either overestimating or underestimating the vaccine’s protective effect.
Children and Kidney Risks After Covid
Although this study only looked at adults, experts warn that children can also suffer kidney damage post-Covid. According to a research done by the University of Pennsylvania, children with COVID had a 35% higher chance of developing chronic renal disease within six months.
Some clinicians worry that these dangers may increase as a result of new CDC guidelines that are reversing the usual Covid immunization for pregnant women and healthy children.
Special Concerns for Kidney Disease Patients
Vaccination and Covid infection can both trigger glomerulonephritis, a kidney disease involving inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units. Though rare, relapses and new cases have been reported in both adults and children post-vaccine or post-infection.
Kidney Complications Now Less Common
Thanks to widespread immunity, whether from vaccines or prior infections, the rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) due to Covid has dropped significantly since 2020.
“As more people got vaccinated, disease severity declined and AKI became much less common.” — Dr. Jeffrey Berns, University of Pennsylvania
Key Takeaway
Covid vaccination remains a crucial tool in preventing not just death or hospitalization—but also serious organ damage. Protecting yourself may mean protecting your kidneys, too.
Source: NBC News
