COVID-19 infection posed a greater and longer-lasting risk of rare heart and inflammatory complications in children than vaccination, which was associated with a short-term higher risk of myocarditis and pericarditis, according to a study published yesterday in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.
Principal author on the study was Darwin Postdoctoral Associate at the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Dr Alexia Sampri, while Darwin Vice-Master Professor Angela Wood, Associate Director at the BHF Data Science Centre, was co-author.
Researchers analysed linked electronic health records for nearly 14 million children in England under the age of 18 between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2022, covering 98% of this population.
“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 a COVID-19 infection than after having the vaccine — and the risks after infection lasted much longer,” says Alexia.
“Using electronic health records from all children and young people in England, we were able to study very rare but serious heart and clotting complications, and found higher and longer-lasting risks after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination,” explains Angela.
“Whilst vaccine-related risks are likely to remain rare and short-lived, future risks following infection could change as new variants emerge and immunity shifts. That’s why whole-population health data monitoring remains essential to guide vaccine and other important public health decisions.”