New Research Reveals Higher Heart Risks for Children After COVID-19 Infection Than After Vaccination
A recent study has uncovered alarming findings regarding the impact of COVID-19 on children's hearts. The research, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, reveals that children and young people are more susceptible to long-lasting heart and inflammatory complications following a COVID-19 infection compared to before or without an infection. In contrast, the COVID-19 vaccine was only associated with a short-term higher risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.
Led by scientists from the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, and University College London, with support from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre, the study analyzed linked electronic health records of nearly 14 million children in England under 18 years old between January 2020 and December 2022. This massive dataset, covering 98% of the population, provided valuable insights into the rare complications associated with COVID-19 and vaccination.
Dr. Alexia Sampri, the principal author from the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, emphasized the study's findings: "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."
The research team identified five rare complications: arterial and venous thrombosis (blood clots), thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels), myocarditis (heart inflammation), pericarditis (inflammation around the heart), and other inflammatory conditions. They found that the risks of these complications were highest in the first four weeks after a COVID-19 diagnosis and remained elevated for up to 12 months compared to children without a diagnosis.
In contrast, the vaccine only posed a short-term higher risk of myocarditis or pericarditis in the first four weeks, with the risk returning to baseline levels after that period. Over six months, the study estimated that COVID-19 infection led to 2.24 extra cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per 100,000 children and young people, while vaccination resulted in only 0.85 extra cases.
Previous research has shown that children diagnosed with COVID-19 face a higher risk of developing myocarditis, pericarditis, and thrombocytopenia compared to their peers without a diagnosis. While COVID-19 vaccines have proven effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization in children, some studies have reported rare cases of myocarditis in young people shortly after vaccination, particularly with mRNA-based vaccines.
This study is the first to directly compare the longer-term risks of both COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in children and young people. Co-author Professor Angela Wood from the University of Cambridge and the BHF Data Science Centre explained: "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."
The study's findings have significant implications for parents and healthcare professionals, who now have more comprehensive data to guide their decisions. Co-author Professor Pia Hardelid from UCL and the National Institute of Health and Care Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre stated: "Parents and carers have faced difficult choices throughout the pandemic. By building a stronger evidence base on both infection and vaccination outcomes, we hope to support families and healthcare professionals in making informed decisions."
Co-author Professor William Whiteley from the University of Edinburgh and the BHF Data Science Centre added: "Parents, young people, and children need reliable information to make decisions about their health. Data from hospitals and GP practices are an important part of the picture, as they provide insights into the experiences of people cared for in the NHS. Our study has shown that during the pandemic, risks of myocarditis and inflammatory illnesses were low for children and young people, and that they were less after COVID-19 vaccination than after COVID-19 infection."
The study's findings are available in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00247-0/fulltext
This research highlights the importance of ongoing health data monitoring to guide public health decisions, especially as new variants emerge and immunity shifts.
