evidence: While risks higher for the unvaccinated, study points to need for more tools against the virus [...] The study of more than 13 million veterans also found that vaccination against the virus that causes COVID-19 reduced the risk of death by 34% and the risk of getting long COVID by 15%, compared with unvaccinated patients infected with the virus. However, vaccines were shown to be most effective in preventing some of the most worrisome manifestations of long COVID – lung and blood-clotting disorders – which declined about 49% and 56%, respectively, among those who were vaccinated. [...] "Getting COVID-19, even among vaccinated people, seems almost unavoidable nowadays," said Al-Aly, noting that 8% to 12% of vaccinated people with breakthrough infections may develop long COVID. "Our current approach will likely leave a large number of people with chronic and potentially disabling conditions that have no treatments. This will not only affect people’s health, but their ability to work, life expectancy, economic productivity and societal well-being. We need to have a candid national conversation about the consequences of our current approach."