For years, health authorities have recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for children, but uptake among the younger population has lagged behind adults, especially with the introduction of the updated vaccine in the previous year. A recent study has now dissected the effectiveness of the 2022 vaccine in children, yielding results that medical experts consider crucial as the world enters a new season with the risk of colds, flu, RSV, and COVID.
So, what does the data reveal? Here’s a breakdown of the findings.
Published in JAMA Network, the study determined that the 2022 COVID-19 vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of COVID-19-related visits to the emergency room, urgent care facilities, and outpatient clinics among children under five years of age.
To conduct the research, scientists examined data from 24,261 children aged 6 months to 4 years, all diagnosed with acute respiratory infections and tested for COVID-19 between July 23, 2022, and May 19, 2023, at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Of this group, 2,337 (or 10%) tested positive for COVID-19, with just 1,457 (or 6%) having received vaccination against the virus. Notably, only 3.3% of the 2,337 COVID-positive children and 6.3% of the 21,924 controls had been vaccinated with two or three doses of the 2022 vaccine.
Furthermore, the researchers observed that children who received two or three doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine were 70% less likely to require emergency room or urgent care visits due to COVID and 60% less likely to seek medical attention from a doctor when compared to unvaccinated children.
This study is not the first to affirm the effectiveness of COVID vaccines in children. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also found that children under five who received both the original and updated COVID-19 vaccines were safeguarded against needing medical care for COVID at an emergency department or urgent care facility. Additionally, it determined that one or more doses of the bivalent vaccine were 80% effective in preventing hospitalization or urgent care visits.
The researchers concluded, “All children should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including initiation of COVID-19 vaccination immediately when they are eligible.”
Medical experts have responded to these findings, expressing little surprise. Dr. Mark Hicar, an associate professor of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, noted that various studies, including those at his institution, have indicated that even vaccines designed for earlier strains can offer protection against later circulating variants.
Dr. Ian Michelow, division head of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology at Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group, emphasized the importance of these findings, asserting that families should be aware of the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing emergency department visits for children.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, underscored that the vaccine’s benefits far outweigh any minimal concerns about potential side effects. He emphasized, “It’s very important to note that the vaccine really does work. It helps keep children out of the emergency room and from being hospitalized.”
Schaffner urged parents to take these findings seriously, highlighting that COVID-19 continues to pose a risk, ranking among the top 10 causes of death in children. Despite the common belief that only children with underlying health conditions are susceptible to severe illness, he stated that this is not accurate.
While COVID-19 infections in children tend to be less severe than in older adults, complications, including long COVID, can arise, even after mild infections, according to Michelow.
Hicar expressed hope that this latest data will encourage parents to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19, emphasizing that vaccination rates among children have generally been low. He pointed out that a significant proportion of children admitted to hospitals during the early stages of the Omicron variant outbreak had been either under-vaccinated or completely unvaccinated.
Schaffner concluded by emphasizing the importance of vaccination for all individuals aged six months and older, regardless of the belief that children are at lower risk of severe illness from COVID. He stated that COVID has not disappeared, and the Omicron variants can still affect healthy children, necessitating vaccination according to CDC guidelines.
