PhD defence: Christina Bisgaard Jensen
Non-specific symptoms and off-target effects following COVID-19 vaccination
Info about event
Time
Location
Eduard Biermann Auditorium, 1252-204, Aarhus University
On Thursday 20 August 2026 at 13:00, Christina Bisgaard Jensen defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Non-specific symptoms and off-target effects following COVID-19 vaccination".
COVID-19 vaccines have played a crucial role in preventing severe disease. At the same time, concerns have been raised about their safety and potential long-term health effects. While research has primarily focused on well-defined adverse events and acute vaccine reactions, less is known about whether COVID-19 vaccination is associated with post-acute non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and muscle pain, or changes in the risk of other infectious diseases beyond COVID-19.
The PhD project investigates the broader health effects of COVID-19 vaccination, with a particular focus on post-acute non-specific symptoms, including the role of vaccine concerns and acute post-vaccination reactions in subsequent symptom experiences, as well as the risk of other infectious diseases. The research is based on the Danish BiCoVac cohort, which includes more than 900,000 individuals aged 16-64 years and combines self-reported questionnaire data with nationwide Danish health registry data.
The findings show that, for the vast majority of individuals, COVID-19 vaccination was not associated with an increased occurrence of post-acute non-specific symptoms. At the same time, the findings suggest that vaccine concerns and acute post-vaccination reactions may influence subsequent symptom experiences. In addition, only small or no differences were observed in the risk of other infectious diseases following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Together, these findings provide reassurance about the broader health effects of COVID-19 vaccination, while offering new insights into factors that may influence post-acute symptom experiences.
The summary is written by the PhD student.
The defence is public and takes place in Eduard Biermann Auditorium, 1252-204, Aarhus University. Please see the press release for more information.
Contact
PhD student Christina Bisgaard Jensen
Mail: Cbj@ph.au.dk
Phone: +45 6130 2930