Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children

on behalf of the RECOVER CONSORTIUM

doi:10.1542/peds.2023-064446

Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children

on behalf of the RECOVER CONSORTIUM

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Vaccination reduces the risk of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, but it is less clear whether it protects against long COVID. We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against long COVID in children aged 5 to 17 years. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from 17 health systems in the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record program for visits after vaccine availability. We examined both probable (symptom-based) and diagnosed long COVID after vaccination. RESULTS: The vaccination rate was 67% in the cohort of 1 037 936 children. The incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, whereas diagnosed long COVID was 0.8%. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness within 12 months was 35.4% (95 CI 24.5–44.7) against probable long COVID and 41.7% (15.0–60.0) against diagnosed long COVID. VE was higher for adolescents (50.3% [36.6–61.0]) than children aged 5 to 11 (23.8% [4.9–39.0]). VE was higher at 6 months (61.4% [51.0–69.6]) but decreased to 10.6% (−26.8% to 37.0%) at 18-months. CONCLUSIONS: This large retrospective study shows moderate protective effect of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 vaccination against long COVID. The effect is stronger in adolescents, who have higher risk of long COVID, and wanes over time. Understanding VE mechanism against long COVID requires more study, including electronic health record sources and prospective data.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e2023064446
Journal	Pediatrics
Volume	153
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-064446
State	Published - Apr 1 2024

Funding

FUNDING: This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health Agreement OT2HL161847-01 as part of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) program of research. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the National Institutes of Health.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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10.1542/peds.2023-064446

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@article{73440df1bc8443f49c054fa408b3e468,

title = "Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children",

abstract = "OBJECTIVES: Vaccination reduces the risk of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, but it is less clear whether it protects against long COVID. We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against long COVID in children aged 5 to 17 years. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from 17 health systems in the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record program for visits after vaccine availability. We examined both probable (symptom-based) and diagnosed long COVID after vaccination. RESULTS: The vaccination rate was 67% in the cohort of 1 037 936 children. The incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, whereas diagnosed long COVID was 0.8%. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness within 12 months was 35.4% (95 CI 24.5–44.7) against probable long COVID and 41.7% (15.0–60.0) against diagnosed long COVID. VE was higher for adolescents (50.3% [36.6–61.0]) than children aged 5 to 11 (23.8% [4.9–39.0]). VE was higher at 6 months (61.4% [51.0–69.6]) but decreased to 10.6% (−26.8% to 37.0%) at 18-months. CONCLUSIONS: This large retrospective study shows moderate protective effect of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 vaccination against long COVID. The effect is stronger in adolescents, who have higher risk of long COVID, and wanes over time. Understanding VE mechanism against long COVID requires more study, including electronic health record sources and prospective data.",

author = "{on behalf of the RECOVER CONSORTIUM} and Hanieh Razzaghi and Forrest, {Christopher B.} and Kathryn Hirabayashi and Qiong Wu and Allen, {Andrea J.} and Suchitra Rao and Yong Chen and Bunnell, {H. Timothy} and Chrischilles, {Elizabeth A.} and Cowell, {Lindsay G.} and Cummins, {Mollie R.} and Hanauer, {David A.} and Miranda Higginbotham and Horne, {Benjamin D.} and Horowitz, {Carol R.} and Ravi Jhaveri and Susan Kim and Aaron Mishkin and Muszynski, {Jennifer A.} and Susanna Naggie and Pajor, {Nathan M.} and Anuradha Paranjape and Schwenk, {Hayden T.} and Sills, {Marion R.} and Tedla, {Yacob Ghirmatsion} and Williams, {David A.} and Bailey, {L. Charles}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1542/peds.2023-064446",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "153",

journal = "Pediatrics",

issn = "0031-4005",

publisher = "American Academy of Pediatrics",

number = "4",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children

AU - on behalf of the RECOVER CONSORTIUM

AU - Razzaghi, Hanieh

AU - Forrest, Christopher B.

AU - Hirabayashi, Kathryn

AU - Wu, Qiong

AU - Allen, Andrea J.

AU - Rao, Suchitra

AU - Chen, Yong

AU - Bunnell, H. Timothy

AU - Chrischilles, Elizabeth A.

AU - Cowell, Lindsay G.

AU - Cummins, Mollie R.

AU - Hanauer, David A.

AU - Higginbotham, Miranda

AU - Horne, Benjamin D.

AU - Horowitz, Carol R.

AU - Jhaveri, Ravi

AU - Kim, Susan

AU - Mishkin, Aaron

AU - Muszynski, Jennifer A.

AU - Naggie, Susanna

AU - Pajor, Nathan M.

AU - Paranjape, Anuradha

AU - Schwenk, Hayden T.

AU - Sills, Marion R.

AU - Tedla, Yacob Ghirmatsion

AU - Williams, David A.

AU - Bailey, L. Charles

PY - 2024/4/1

Y1 - 2024/4/1

N2 - OBJECTIVES: Vaccination reduces the risk of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, but it is less clear whether it protects against long COVID. We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against long COVID in children aged 5 to 17 years. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from 17 health systems in the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record program for visits after vaccine availability. We examined both probable (symptom-based) and diagnosed long COVID after vaccination. RESULTS: The vaccination rate was 67% in the cohort of 1 037 936 children. The incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, whereas diagnosed long COVID was 0.8%. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness within 12 months was 35.4% (95 CI 24.5–44.7) against probable long COVID and 41.7% (15.0–60.0) against diagnosed long COVID. VE was higher for adolescents (50.3% [36.6–61.0]) than children aged 5 to 11 (23.8% [4.9–39.0]). VE was higher at 6 months (61.4% [51.0–69.6]) but decreased to 10.6% (−26.8% to 37.0%) at 18-months. CONCLUSIONS: This large retrospective study shows moderate protective effect of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 vaccination against long COVID. The effect is stronger in adolescents, who have higher risk of long COVID, and wanes over time. Understanding VE mechanism against long COVID requires more study, including electronic health record sources and prospective data.

AB - OBJECTIVES: Vaccination reduces the risk of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, but it is less clear whether it protects against long COVID. We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against long COVID in children aged 5 to 17 years. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from 17 health systems in the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record program for visits after vaccine availability. We examined both probable (symptom-based) and diagnosed long COVID after vaccination. RESULTS: The vaccination rate was 67% in the cohort of 1 037 936 children. The incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, whereas diagnosed long COVID was 0.8%. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness within 12 months was 35.4% (95 CI 24.5–44.7) against probable long COVID and 41.7% (15.0–60.0) against diagnosed long COVID. VE was higher for adolescents (50.3% [36.6–61.0]) than children aged 5 to 11 (23.8% [4.9–39.0]). VE was higher at 6 months (61.4% [51.0–69.6]) but decreased to 10.6% (−26.8% to 37.0%) at 18-months. CONCLUSIONS: This large retrospective study shows moderate protective effect of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 vaccination against long COVID. The effect is stronger in adolescents, who have higher risk of long COVID, and wanes over time. Understanding VE mechanism against long COVID requires more study, including electronic health record sources and prospective data.

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DO - 10.1542/peds.2023-064446

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JO - Pediatrics

JF - Pediatrics

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ER -

Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children

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