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Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of heart failure and blood clots after contraction of the virus, a new study found, according to The Hill.

What’s going on: “Previous studies found that a SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger cardiac and thromboembolic complications, and the risk for a person infected remains high for a year after becoming sick, researchers noted. The new study [in the British Medical Journal] found that while the risks remain, getting a vaccine slashes the risk of heart failure up to 55 percent and blood clots up to 78 percent after getting sick.”

• The study—which used a sample of 10.17 million vaccinated individuals and 10.39 million unvaccinated individuals in three European countries—found that positive health effects were most apparent in the month following a vaccination but can last up to a year.

Why it’s important: “While there has been concern about the risk of myocarditis and other thromboembolic events following vaccination, this analysis highlights that the risk of such complications is notably higher when it comes from the SARS-CoV-2 infection itself,” Dr. John Brownstein of Boston Children’s Hospital told ABC News.