A forthcoming study in the United States reveals that children who have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are less susceptible to developing long-lasting symptoms associated with COVID-19, commonly known as long COVID. This research is considered crucial in the context of low vaccine uptake among children, despite recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination for those as young as 6 months old.
The study, led by Anna Yousaf, a medical officer at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, involved the enrollment of 1,600 children. Over a span of more than a year, weekly nasal swabs were collected from the participants to monitor the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The focus narrowed to 622 participants, aged 5 to 17 years, who contracted COVID-19. Out of this group, 28 children developed long COVID. The researchers meticulously calculated the odds of experiencing ongoing symptoms for both vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
Jessica Snowden, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, emphasizes the significance of this data, particularly in demonstrating to families the importance of protecting children not only from acute COVID-19 but also from potential longer-term impacts.
The study’s findings contribute valuable insights into the protective effects of COVID-19 vaccination in children, offering a potential avenue to mitigate the risk of long COVID among this age group. As efforts continue to encourage vaccination in children, such research serves as a cornerstone in shaping public health strategies and fostering a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric populations.
The results of a study, presented at the IDWeek conference in Boston and set to be published in the coming months, demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccination in children reduces the likelihood of developing long-lasting symptoms associated with the virus, commonly referred to as long COVID. The research, led by Anna Yousaf from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), involved 1,600 children, and its findings underscore the potential benefits of vaccination in this age group.
According to the study, vaccination decreased the probability of experiencing at least one long COVID symptom by 34% and reduced the chances of developing two or more symptoms by 48%. It’s important to note that these estimates are likely conservative, as the study only considered children who had contracted the infection. It did not account for the fact that the vaccine can reduce the likelihood of getting infected in the first place, which would also lower the risk of long COVID.
Danilo Buonsenso, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, acknowledges the rigorous study design but highlights certain nuances. The study defined long COVID as the persistence of symptoms after one month, while the World Health Organization uses a minimum duration of two months. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported instances of long COVID rather than clinical diagnoses. Buonsenso notes that the challenges in accurately calculating the true incidence of long COVID in children do not negate the statistically robust comparison between vaccinated and unvaccinated children. He emphasizes that while vaccinations can reduce the burden of long COVID, they may not completely eliminate it.
These findings contribute to the evolving understanding of the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on children’s health and emphasize the potential role of vaccination in mitigating the risk of long-term symptoms associated with the virus.
Similar findings in adults
The recent findings align with a growing body of evidence suggesting that vaccines play a role in reducing the incidence of long COVID, particularly in adults. However, the significance of these results in pediatric populations is particularly noteworthy, as children exhibit unique physiological and immunological responses to infections and vaccinations.
Jessica Snowden, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, emphasizes the importance of studying children as distinct entities, recognizing that their bodies and immune systems undergo dynamic growth and development. While previous knowledge derived from adult studies offered insights, it was not guaranteed that vaccines would yield the same protective benefits against long COVID in children. Snowden underscores the importance of dedicated research on pediatric populations, stating that “kids are worth looking at in and of themselves.”
Danilo Buonsenso, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, underscores the significance of these data as a compelling argument in favor of vaccination, particularly for newborns who have not yet been exposed to COVID-19. This is particularly relevant in regions where vaccination recommendations for younger children might be influenced by varying levels of prior exposure to the virus, and thus, differing levels of immunity.
As the global community navigates vaccination strategies for pediatric populations, these findings contribute valuable insights into the potential benefits of vaccination in reducing the risk of long-lasting symptoms associated with COVID-19 in children, reinforcing the broader public health narrative advocating for widespread vaccination efforts.
Despite the recommendation for annual COVID-19 vaccination boosters for children as young as 6 months in the United States, vaccination rates remain relatively low. As of mid-December, only 7.8% of US children had received their autumn COVID-19 vaccine, in stark contrast to the higher rate of influenza vaccination, which stood at 43.3%. Anna Yousaf, the lead researcher of the study, suggests that the perception of the Omicron variant as a milder strain might contribute to the hesitancy, as it often leads to mild colds that may not immediately evoke concerns about long COVID.
The Omicron variant has been associated with a perception of less severe symptoms, potentially leading to a belief that long COVID is less likely to occur. However, a recent US household survey revealed a long COVID rate of 1.3% in children for 2022. While this percentage may seem small, it represents thousands of affected children whose daily lives, physical activities, and education may be impacted. Yousaf emphasizes that individual stories highlight the severity of long COVID’s impact on a child’s life.
Jessica Snowden, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist, underscores the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unpredictability of future variants. While current variants may be less severe, Snowden emphasizes the need to protect children from the potential long-term impacts of COVID-19, emphasizing the critical importance of vaccination as a preventive measure.
As the global community continues to grapple with evolving challenges posed by the pandemic, the need to prioritize vaccination efforts for children becomes increasingly critical in safeguarding their health and mitigating potential long-term consequences associated with COVID-19.
Resources
- JOURNAL Hall, S. (2023). Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children. Nature. [Nature]
- JOURNAL Yousaf, A. R., Mak, J., Gwynn, L., Bloodworth, R., Rai, R., Jeddy, Z., LeClair, L., Edwards, L. J., Olsho, L., Newes‐Adeyi, G., Dalton, A. F., Gaglani, M., Yoon, S. K., Hegmann, K. T., Ellingson, K., Feldstein, L. R., Campbell, A. P., Britton, A., & Saydah, S. (2023). 1935. COVID-19 mRNA vaccination reduces the occurrence of Post-COVID conditions in U.S. children aged 5-17 years following Omicron SARS-COV-2 infection, July 2021-September 2022. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 10(Supplement_2). [Open Forum Infectious Diseases]
- JOURNAL Atchison, C., Davies, B., Cooper, E., Lound, A., Whitaker, M., Hampshire, A., Azor, A., Donnelly, C. A., Chadeau‐Hyam, M., Cooke, G., Ward, H., & Elliott, P. (2023). Long-term health impacts of COVID-19 among 242,712 adults in England. Nature Communications, 14(1). [Nature Communications]
Cite this page:
APA 7: TWs Editor. (2023, December 21). Vaccines Protect Children from Long COVID Complications. PerEXP Teamworks. [News Link]
