Vaccination reduces Covid-19 related emergency visits among children
Children who received vaccinations against Covid-19 in the last season exhibited a “substantially lower risk” of emergency department and urgent care visits related to the virus, according to a report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports BritPanorama.
The vaccines demonstrated an efficacy of approximately 76% in preventing Covid-related visits among healthy children aged 9 months to 4 years, while efficacy stood at about 56% for children aged 5 to 17 when compared to unvaccinated children during the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season, the CDC indicated.
This federal analysis utilized data from roughly 98,000 children seeking treatment between late August 2024 and early September 2025 across 250 emergency departments and urgent care centers participating in a CDC research collaboration. This data allowed for a comparative assessment between children who received the updated vaccine recommended for the current respiratory season and those who did not, although the latter group may have had earlier vaccinations.
“In a population with some persons having preexisting levels of protection from previous vaccination, previous infection, or both, 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination provided children with additional protection against COVID-19–associated (emergency department and urgent care) encounters compared with no 2024–2025 vaccination,” the researchers noted.
The CDC advised that Covid-19 vaccination is recommended for all individuals aged 6 months and older during the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season—guidelines established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), comprised of independent vaccine advisors. However, this year, ACIP underwent a significant overhaul, with all previous members replaced by appointees selected by US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Current CDC recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 17 years now involve “shared clinical decision-making,” a shift from earlier guidance. In contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics persists in explicitly recommending Covid vaccinations for young children, raising questions about the impact of this transition on vaccination uptake and effectiveness among children, which remains an area requiring ongoing scrutiny.
The evolving landscape of Covid-19 vaccination guidelines poses ongoing challenges as healthcare providers navigate varying recommendations and public expectations.
