Children who received Covid-19 vaccines during the 2024–25 respiratory virus season had a “substantially lower risk” of emergency department (ED) and urgent care visits related to the virus, according to a report published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The vaccines were approximately 76% effective in preventing Covid-19–related ED and urgent care visits among healthy children ages 9 months to 4 years, and 56% effective among children ages 5 to 17, compared with those who had not received the updated vaccine.
The analysis included about 98,000 children who tested positive for Covid-19 when visiting EDs or urgent care centers between late August 2024 and early September 2025. Data were collected from 250 sites across nine states participating in a CDC-affiliated research network.
Researchers compared outcomes for children who received the updated 2024–25 vaccine with those who had not received the latest shot but may have received previous Covid-19 vaccines. “In a population with some prior protection from previous vaccination or infection, 2024–2025 Covid-19 vaccination provided additional protection against Covid-19–associated ED and urgent care encounters,” the report noted.
During the 2024–25 season, the CDC recommended Covid-19 vaccination for all individuals aged 6 months and older. However, following an overhaul of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the CDC now advises that vaccination for children ages 6 months to 17 years should be based on shared clinical decision-making between families and healthcare providers. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend Covid-19 vaccination for young children.
Only about 13% of children received the updated shot last season, and there was insufficient data to assess vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization. Nonetheless, Covid-19 remains a serious threat to children: approximately 38,000 were hospitalized during the 2023–24 season, with infants at the highest risk outside of older adults.
Experts emphasize the vaccine’s protective value. “There’s no evidence that the vaccine is more dangerous to a child than the virus itself,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. He added that preventing even mild illness and emergency visits demonstrates the vaccine’s tangible benefit.
“This type of data illustrates that the vaccine has value to the individual being vaccinated,” Adalja said. “It’s a technology that helps children live normal lives while Covid-19 is still circulating. If you can prevent an emergency department visit, why wouldn’t you?”
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