Why infant hospitalizations for Covid remain high

Covid is almost as dangerous for children now as it was at the beginning of the pandemic, while the risk of serious illness among all other age groups has decreased significantly over time. the study showed.

Researchers found that by August 2023, 6,300 children under one year of age had been admitted to hospital wholly or partially due to Covid.

As a result, babies accounted for 64 per cent of all children admitted to hospital with Covid this year, according to a new study published in The Times. Journal of Pediatrics.

The study shows that as the pandemic progressed, the rate of hospital admissions among infants remained almost unchanged – between August 2020 and August 2023, a total of 19,790 children under 1 year of age were admitted (an average of 6,596 per year), which accounts for 43% of all children admitted at that time.

Meanwhile, during the period when the Delta variant dominated, i.e. from May to December 2021, infants accounted for less than 30%. admitted children.

Taken together, these numbers show that while the number of serious cases has dropped sharply among children aged one year and older, the number has not changed among children under 1 year of age.

The persistently high hospitalization rate for children is largely due to babies being born without immunity to Covid-19 and, more generally, with weak immune systems.

This contrasts with many older children who have built up some immunity to Covid infections and vaccines.

“The pandemic is as bad for children as ever. Children under 1 year of age are the only age group in which the number of admissions does not decline over time, he added. Professor Krystyna Pagelsaid from University College London AND.

“As children over the age of one gained some immunity to infections or were vaccinated (vaccinations mainly affected teenagers), the risk of requiring hospitalization decreased. However, this does not help infants in their first exposure to the virus.”

He expects the situation among infants in the period up to August 2024 to be “about the same” as last year, “as we continue to see waves of Covid and newborn immunity remains low.”

This is the first study to show that children’s Covid hospitalizations in the UK have barely fallen during the pandemic.

Although the vaccine has been developed for children aged 6 months to four years, it is only given to clinically vulnerable people.

Therefore, the best protection a child can get is to vaccinate the mother during pregnancy – preferably in the third trimester – say scientists.

The baby gains some protection from the mother’s vaccination “in the womb”, and after birth through breastfeeding, when the antibodies pass into the mother’s milk, they strengthen it even more. The vaccine also reduces the risk of the mother contracting Covid-19 and passing the disease to her child.

Professor Pagel points out that the number of vaccinated pregnant women is quite low, around 40 percent, and urges more pregnant women to get vaccinated.

“Not enough infants – from the age of 6 months – are protected by the vaccine, and the benefits of maternal vaccination are not sufficiently promoted,” she said.

Research in New England Journal of Medicine found that vaccination during pregnancy reduced the risk of hospitalization for Covid-19 among infants under 6 years of age by 61%.

Analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that hospital admissions for Covid in children under 6 months are higher than in any other age group except those over 75 – although the difference is that hospital admissions in this age group have fallen sharply in during the pandemic, even if they are still higher than infants.

Dr Simon Williams, a lecturer at Swansea University who was not involved in the research, said: “The results of this new study are very worrying and help to dispel the myth that Covid is harmless to children. While most children will not become seriously ill from Covid, this study shows that in some cases it can be serious, particularly in children who are vulnerable and immunocompromised.”

Sheena Cruikshank, professor of community engagement and biomedical sciences at the University of Manchester, who was also not involved in the study, said: “Young children are extremely susceptible to Covid because their immune systems are still developing.

“The study shows that even though older children are hospitalized less often, this is not the case for younger children. If mothers are able to breastfeed and have been vaccinated later in pregnancy, then their maternal antibodies may protect the baby.”

“However, the use of these vaccines is not so good because it can put many mothers and their babies at risk,” she said.

Dr Mary Ramsay, director of immunizations at the UK’s Health Security Agency, said: ‘The Covid vaccine for pregnant women is offered to pregnant women at a relatively short notice in the autumn (October to December) so we advise them to take it up when it is offered in this year” and don’t delay.

“In this way, the vaccine can protect more pregnant women and newborns, regardless of the stage of pregnancy they are in or whether they were born prematurely.

“The Covid-19 vaccine is already being offered to “children over 6 months of age and children with certain chronic diseases,” who are among the groups most at risk of severe disease.

“For other babies and children, Covid-19 will generally be a mild illness. Our surveillance shows that although infants under 6 months of age currently have the highest rates of hospitalization, the number of people requiring intensive treatment remains relatively low.”

“As with all vaccination programmes, the JCVI is keeping the Covid-19 vaccination program under review and based on the best available evidence.”

Why now is the right time to vaccinate your children against flu:

Health experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the NHS are urging parents to vaccinate their children against flu as new data shows that the number of flu cases among five to 14-year-olds is now twice as high as in the general population .

According to the latest UKHSA data as of October 22, the ‘flu positive rate’ in this age group is 5.7% compared to 2.5% in the general population.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people with positive lab tests among those with symptoms, not the rate in the overall population, which would be much lower.

Overall, flu cases are still quite low, but we’re approaching the peak of the season when cases will start to spike, experts warn.

It is not unusual for younger children to catch the flu first and therefore have a higher infection rate early in the season because they are crowded into classrooms.

However, these data are a timely reminder that vaccinating children not only protects them, but also limits the spread of the disease to older members of the population, experts say.

Dr Suzanna McDonald, UKHSA’s flu vaccination program manager, said: ‘This week’s data shows that although levels of flu remain low, they are highest among school-age children.

“Children’s immune systems respond well to flu vaccines, which most children are given at school as a quick and painless nasal spray, helping to keep them well protected as winter approaches.

“Flu season often peaks in late December, so getting your children vaccinated now will help ensure that flu doesn’t ruin Christmas for them and your family, as the vaccine will also help stop the spread of the virus.

“Parents should make sure they sign and return vaccination consent forms so your children don’t miss out. However, if they missed this opportunity at school, you should still be able to vaccinate them at a community clinic. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness for anyone and thousands of children are admitted to hospital every year. No one wants this for their child, so please make sure they get their flu shot on time.”

Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “Today’s data is a stark reminder of how easily viruses can spread in schools – particularly in the colder months when pupils are more likely to gather indoors – but vaccination is one of the best ways to stop the spread of the virus and avoid getting yourself and others sick this winter.

All school-aged children up to and including 11 years of age are eligible for a free nasal spray flu vaccine.

The vaccine tends to produce a better immune response in children, and evidence from last year’s flu season shows it was highly effective in children in England, with a 54 per cent reduction in hospitalizations in children aged two to 17, he said.

Delivery of the flu vaccine to schools began in early September and local vaccination teams will move from school to school across the region throughout October and November, with school vaccination sessions ending in mid-December.