COVID Linked to Decline in Immunity to Childhood Infections
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COVID-19 Control Measures Linked to Surge in Childhood Infections
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Scientists have uncovered a link between COVID-19 control measures and a surge in serious infections in children following the pandemic.
The findings, from a large European study led by researchers at Imperial, suggest that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) – including lockdowns, school closures, and social distancing – may have inadvertently delayed the development of young children’s immunity to specific infectious diseases, leaving them more vulnerable to severe illness.
The researchers explain that while this impact was anticipated for viral infections (such as influenza and RSV), a surge in other infections, including the bacterial infection Strep A, had not been expected.
The authors advise the need to carefully weigh the impact of restrictions on children during future pandemics and stress the importance of development and delivery of vaccines to reduce the impact of severe infections across all age groups.
The findings are published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Associate Professor Tom Parks from Imperial’s Department of Infectious Disease, co-lead author on the study, said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic there was huge uncertainty about the spread and severity of a new disease and challenging decisions had to be made to protect vulnerable groups, as well as to maintain the health service. Restrictions like lockdowns and social distancing played a vital role in limiting the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which undoubtedly saved countless lives, reduced the impact on health systems including the NHS and bought countries time to roll out vaccine programmes.
“However, our study shows they also disrupted how children built immunity during these critical early years. Children aged 3-4 tested for Strep A immunity after the pandemic were approximately a year behind children tested before the pandemic. This difference in immunity appears to have contributed to the alarming rise in severe Strep A infections seen across Europe during 2022 and 2023.”
Strep A Infections
Strep A (Group A Streptococcus) is a common type of bacteria that typically causes throat infections and scarlet fever. While most infections are mild, in rare cases Strep A can cause invasive infections which can be fatal. Each year,around half a million people,including many children and young people,die around the world because of serious strep A infections.
Previous research has shown that while rates of Strep A infections fell dramatically during the pandemic, many countries recorded a surge in infection rates once restrictions were lifted.
In the latest study, the team examined immune responses in 452 children aged 0-4 years old.