New research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando suggests that COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower rates of several infections and some allergic conditions in children with atopic dermatitis. The findings, drawn from matched cohorts of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients 17 years and younger, point to possible broader immune benefits beyond protection from COVID-19.
Children with atopic dermatitis (eczema) who received COVID-19 vaccination experienced fewer subsequent infections and some allergic complications than similar unvaccinated peers, according to an abstract presented at the ACAAI 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando (Nov. 6–10). (sciencedaily.com)
Researchers led by medical student Tristan Nguyen and principal investigator Zhibo Yang analyzed two matched cohorts of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis—5,758 vaccinated and 5,758 unvaccinated—excluding children with prior COVID-19 infection or major comorbidities. The study used a retrospective design with electronic health records and matched participants on demographic and health characteristics. (sciencedaily.com)
“As a chronic, immune-driven skin condition, atopic dermatitis often precedes asthma and allergic rhinitis,” Nguyen said, noting that children with AD face heightened risk for skin and respiratory infections. (sciencedaily.com)
Key outcomes reported in the abstract included lower risk ratios (RRs) for several infections among vaccinated children:
- Otitis media (RR 0.623)
- Pneumonia (RR 0.604)
- Bronchitis (RR 0.488)
- Bronchiolitis (RR 0.480)
- Non‑COVID viral infections (RR 0.547)
- Sinusitis (RR 0.549)
- Upper respiratory infections (RR 0.647)
- Impetigo (RR 0.492)
- Molluscum contagiosum (RR 0.597)
- Other skin infections (RR 0.559)
Allergic conditions were also less common in the vaccinated cohort, including asthma (RR 0.696), allergic rhinitis (RR 0.561), contact dermatitis (RR 0.537), and food‑triggered anaphylaxis (RR 0.703). (drugs.com)
The abstract further reports 95% confidence intervals for each estimate and a delayed time to onset for several conditions—otitis media, bronchiolitis, viral infections, upper respiratory infections, and allergic rhinitis—with all time‑to‑event comparisons reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). Investigators observed no significant differences in psychiatric or growth outcomes between groups. (sciencedaily.com)
“These results suggest vaccination may have broader health benefits for children with atopic dermatitis,” said Yang, who also noted the pattern could indicate slower progression of atopic disease for some patients. (sciencedaily.com)
Context and caveats: The analysis is observational and retrospective, based on de‑identified electronic health records (TriNetX), and shows associations rather than causation. Because the findings were presented as a meeting abstract, they should be considered preliminary until published in a peer‑reviewed journal. (sciencedaily.com)