ACAAI: COVID-19 Vaccination Reduces Risk for Multiple Infections in Children With Atopic Dermatitis

THURSDAY, Nov. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For children with atopic dermatitis (AD), COVID-19 mRNA vaccination is associated with a reduced incidence of multiple infections and allergic complications, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Nov. 6 to 10 in Orlando, Florida.

Tristan Nguyen, from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Katy, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from TriNetX to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated pediatric patients with AD (17 years and younger). A total of 5,758 patients were included per cohort after 1:1 matching.

The researchers observed an association for COVID-19 vaccination with a reduced incidence of multiple infections, including otitis media, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, non-COVID-viral infections, sinusitis, upper respiratory infection, impetigo, molluscum contagiosum, and skin infections (risk ratios, 0.623, 0.604, 0.488, 0.480, 0.547, 0.549, 0.647, 0.492, 0.597, and 0.559, respectively). There were also reduced risks seen for allergic complications, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, contact dermatitis, and other allergy-related conditions such as anaphylactic food reactions (risk ratios, 0.696, 0.561, 0.537, and 0.703, respectively). For otitis media, bronchiolitis, viral infections, upper respiratory infections, and allergic rhinitis, the hazard analysis showed significantly delayed time-to-event onset. There were no significant differences seen in psychiatric or growth-related outcomes.

“Our study suggests that COVID-19 vaccination not only protects against coronavirus but may also have broader health benefits for children with atopic dermatitis,” principal author Zhibo Yang, M.D., Ph.D., also from the University of Texas Medical Branch, said in a statement.

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