Vaccinated children less likely than unvaccinated to develop long Covid; Idaho has highest rate of unvaccinated school kids

Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children Nature - A study shows that US children who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have some protection against developing long-lasting symptoms of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Hall, Shannon nature

Vaccinated children are less likely than unvaccinated children to develop long COVID, the myriad of symptoms that can last for months to years following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a forthcoming US study¹.

“This is really important data,” says Jessica Snowden, a paediatric infectious-disease specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. She says that in the United States, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for children as young as 6 months old. But uptake has been low. “This will demonstrate to families how important it is that we protect our kids, not just from acute COVID, but from the longer-term impacts of COVID as well.” ...

Idaho ranks highest for unvaccinated schoolchildren as more US parents opt out Parents are opting out of school vaccinations at the highest rate ever. The highest rate was 12% in Idaho, where a change in state law a few years ago made it easier to opt out. kslcom