Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
The largest study of its kind has shown that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine poses significantly fewer problems for children and young people than the virus itself.
It comes amid previous concerns about potential harm from the jab.
The researchers highlighted that the risks associated with COVID-19 infection last “for a much longer period” than those seen after vaccination.
During the pandemic, an association emerged between the COVID-19 vaccine and an increased chance of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, which affects the lining around the heart.
Most individuals who developed symptoms developed within a week of vaccination, with cases occurring more frequently in young men under the age of 25.
The new study, led by experts from UCL and the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, with support from the BHF Data Science Center at Health Research UK, included the health records of 13.9 million children under 18 between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022.
During this period, about 3.9 million youth were diagnosed with COVID-19, while 3.4 million received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the main dose used in children aged five to 18.
The team looked at the risk of thrombocytopenia, or low levels of platelets in the blood, clots in blood vessels, known as arterial and venous thrombosis, as well as rare complications such as myocarditis and pericarditis.
Researchers found that youth had a higher risk of these conditions up to 12 months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis was higher up to four weeks after vaccination, although the researchers said the risk of developing them was “significantly lower” than the risk after infection with the virus.
Dr Alexia Sampri, from the University of Cambridge, said: “Our whole population study during the pandemic showed that although these conditions were rare, children and young people were more likely to experience heart, vascular or inflammatory problems after Covid-19 infection than if they were vaccinated – and the risk lasts longer after infection.”
Researchers estimate that over six months, COVID infection caused 2.24 additional cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per 100,000 children and youth, reducing the risk by 0.85 additional cases per 100,000 among those vaccinated.
Co-author Professor Pia Hardelid, from UCL and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, said: “Parents and carers have faced difficult choices throughout the pandemic.
“By building a strong evidence base on both infection and vaccination outcomes, we hope to support families and health care professionals to make decisions based on the best available data.”
The team also looked at several inflammatory conditions, including pediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome (PIMS), a new disease that occurs weeks after someone has COVID-19, which causes inflammation throughout the body, and Kawasaki disease, an inflammation of the blood vessels that causes fever, rash, and swelling.
Co-author Professor Angela Wood, of the University of Cambridge and Associate Director of the BHF Data Science Centre, said: “After COVID-19 diagnosis, we saw that the risk of inflammatory conditions was about 15 times higher in those first weeks, and this persisted for several months, perhaps up to less than a year.
“However, after vaccination, we saw that the risk was slightly below background levels, possibly reflecting the protective effect of vaccination here.”
Co-author Professor William Whiteley, of the University of Edinburgh and Associate Director of the BHF Data Science Centre, said: “Parents, young people and children need reliable information to make decisions about their health.
“Data from hospitals and GP practices is an important part of the picture because they tell us what has happened to people seeking care in the NHS.”
The experts said the findings, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, are “of great importance for national policy makers and carers considering vaccination consent for children”.
The researchers said they also support the public health strategy of expanding COVID-19 vaccination among children and youth to reduce more frequent and persistent risks associated with infection.
Professor Wood said: “Although vaccine-related risks are likely to remain rare and short-term, future risks after infection may change due to the emergence of new variants and changes in immunity.
“That’s why monitoring health data across entire populations remains essential to guide vaccine and other important public health decisions.”