Risks for Vascular, Inflammatory Diseases Increased for Children After COVID-19

MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Children face higher risks for vascular and inflammatory diseases up to 12 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, according to a study published in the December issue of The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.Alexia Sampri, Ph.D., from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the short-term and long-term risks for vascular and inflammatory diseases following a first COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in children in England in a retrospective, population-based cohort study using electronic health records.The cohort included 13,896,125 individuals aged younger than 18 years, of whom 28.1 percent had a COVID-19 diagnosis. The researchers found that a COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with a higher risk for arterial thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism, thrombocytopenia, myocarditis or pericarditis, and inflammatory conditions (adjusted hazard ratios [aHRs], 2.33, 4.90, 3.64, 3.46, and 14.84, respectively) in the first week after diagnosis. In weeks 2 to 4, incidence declined but remained elevated to beyond 12 months for venous thromboembolism, thrombocytopenia, and myocarditis or pericarditis (aHRs, 1.39, 1.42, and 1.42, respectively). Overall, 36.9 percent of the 9,245,395 individuals aged 5 to <18 years who were eligible for vaccination received a first vaccine. Compared with no vaccination or before vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination was associated with an elevated risk for myocarditis or pericarditis within the first four weeks after vaccination (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.84). The six-month absolute excess risks for myocarditis or pericarditis were 2.24 and 0.85 per 100,000 individuals after versus before diagnosis or undiagnosed and after vaccination versus before vaccination or unvaccinated, respectively."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," Sampri said in a statement.One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Risks for Vascular, Inflammatory Diseases Increased for Children After COVID-19

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