Vaccination against COVID-19: risks and benefits in children
Vaccination against COVID-19: risks and benefits in children
Countries in Europe and around the world have taken varying approaches to their policies on COVID-19 vaccination for children. The low risk of severe illness from COVID-19 means that even small risks from vaccination warrant careful consideration. Vaccination appears to result in a decreased risk of severe illness including the paediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome known to be associated with COVID-19. These risks have already decreased significantly with the emergence of the Omicron variant and its subvariants, and due to widespread population immunity through previous infection. There is a relatively high risk of myocarditis following second doses of mRNA vaccines in adolescent males, although the general course of this condition appears mild. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination only provides a transient reduction in transmission. Currently, insufficient evidence exists to determine the impact of vaccination on post-acute COVID syndromes in children, which are uncommon. What is Known: • Vaccines against COVID-19 have significantly reduced morbidity and mortality around the world. • Whilst countries have universally recommended vaccines for adults and continue to recommend them for vulnerable populations, there has been more variability in recommendations for children. What is New: • In the setting of near universal existing immunity from infection, the majority of the initial benefit in protecting against severe illness has been eroded. • The risks of myocarditis following mRNA vaccination for children is low, but an important consideration given the modest benefits.
COVID-19, Immunisation, Long COVID, MIS-C, PIMS-TS, Vaccination
1107-1112
Munro, Alasdair P.S.
9150e088-1921-4b12-9b98-289e91fa0b2b
Jones, Christine E.
48229079-8b58-4dcb-8374-d9481fe7b426
Faust, Saul N.
f97df780-9f9b-418e-b349-7adf63e150c1
March 2024
Munro, Alasdair P.S.
9150e088-1921-4b12-9b98-289e91fa0b2b
Jones, Christine E.
48229079-8b58-4dcb-8374-d9481fe7b426
Faust, Saul N.
f97df780-9f9b-418e-b349-7adf63e150c1
Munro, Alasdair P.S., Jones, Christine E. and Faust, Saul N.
(2024)
Vaccination against COVID-19: risks and benefits in children.
European Journal of Pediatrics, 183 (3), .
(doi:10.1007/s00431-023-05380-8).
Abstract
Countries in Europe and around the world have taken varying approaches to their policies on COVID-19 vaccination for children. The low risk of severe illness from COVID-19 means that even small risks from vaccination warrant careful consideration. Vaccination appears to result in a decreased risk of severe illness including the paediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome known to be associated with COVID-19. These risks have already decreased significantly with the emergence of the Omicron variant and its subvariants, and due to widespread population immunity through previous infection. There is a relatively high risk of myocarditis following second doses of mRNA vaccines in adolescent males, although the general course of this condition appears mild. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination only provides a transient reduction in transmission. Currently, insufficient evidence exists to determine the impact of vaccination on post-acute COVID syndromes in children, which are uncommon. What is Known: • Vaccines against COVID-19 have significantly reduced morbidity and mortality around the world. • Whilst countries have universally recommended vaccines for adults and continue to recommend them for vulnerable populations, there has been more variability in recommendations for children. What is New: • In the setting of near universal existing immunity from infection, the majority of the initial benefit in protecting against severe illness has been eroded. • The risks of myocarditis following mRNA vaccination for children is low, but an important consideration given the modest benefits.
Text
s00431-023-05380-8
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 10 December 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 2 January 2024
Published date: March 2024
Additional Information:
AM, CJ and SF have their salaries paid in part by the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, The Author(s).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
Keywords:
COVID-19, Immunisation, Long COVID, MIS-C, PIMS-TS, Vaccination
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 486305
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486305
ISSN: 0340-6199
PURE UUID: 50b16e68-c496-4f0c-afd0-8cd87105c752
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Date deposited: 17 Jan 2024 17:31
Last modified: 02 May 2024 01:49
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Author:
Alasdair P.S. Munro
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