Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has been found to significantly reduce the risk of long-term health problems in children and adolescents, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and 17 other health systems in the United States. The study, which analyzed electronic health records as part of the National Institutes of Health’s Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, discovered that the COVID-19 vaccine provides moderate protection against long COVID, particularly in adolescents who are more susceptible to developing the condition. The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, shed light on the vaccine’s impact on persistent health issues following COVID-19 infection.
While children have generally experienced less severe cases of COVID-19 compared to adults, the impact of long COVID on this age group has been difficult to ascertain due to the wide range of symptoms and the unknown mechanisms underlying their development. Long COVID symptoms in children may include brain fog, difficulty breathing, gastrointestinal dysfunction, generalized pain and fatigue, as well as more serious manifestations such as inflammatory reactions or heart problems.
Lead study author Hanieh Razzaghi emphasized the importance of their research, stating, To date, no studies have assessed clinical data for large, diverse groups of children to address this important question. By analyzing data from 17 health systems as part of the RECOVER initiative, the researchers were able to gather a substantial sample size and identify rare effects of the virus on children’s health.
The study examined the data of two patient groups, aged 5-11 and 12-17, to assess vaccine effectiveness against long COVID. Out of a cohort of 1,037,936 children, the vaccination rate was 56%. The researchers found that the incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, with only 0.7% clinically diagnosed with long COVID. The study estimated the vaccine’s effectiveness within 12 months of administration at 35.4% against probable long COVID and 41.7% against diagnosed long COVID. The effectiveness was even higher in adolescents compared to younger children (50.3% versus 23.8%), and remained high at six months (61.4%) before decreasing to 10.6% at 18 months. Encouragingly, children who received the vaccine after recovering from COVID-19 also experienced benefits, with a vaccine effectiveness of 46% against probable long COVID after a subsequent COVID-19 episode.
Senior study author Charles Bailey highlighted the significance of these findings, stating, This study provides us with important data showing the protective effects of the vaccine against long-haul COVID and suggests that this protection is mostly from preventing visible infections. We hope this means that as vaccines are improved to be more effective against current strains of SARS-CoV-2, their protection against long COVID will get better, too.
The study’s results offer crucial guidance for further research into the development of long COVID in children and how to better protect them. The researchers underscored the need to continue investigating the underlying mechanisms of long COVID to enhance the care and well-being of children and adolescents.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported this study through its Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) program. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a non-profit organization founded in 1855 as the first pediatric hospital in the United States, has made significant contributions to pediatric patient care, research, and education. For more information, visit their website.
Overall, this study provides important insights into the role of the COVID-19 vaccine in reducing the risk of long COVID in children and adolescents. It emphasizes the need for continued vaccination efforts to protect this vulnerable population and enhance their recovery from COVID-19.
