Do parents vaccinated against COVID-19 protect their children from hospitalization due to COVID-19?

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether parental vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevents hospitalization of COVID-19-infected children.

Methods: This study was based on data obtained from the records of pediatric patients that were followed up for virologically proven COVID-19 infection between August and October 2021, during which time the delta variant was dominant in Turkey and the children were isolating at home.

Results: There were 151 patients in the inpatient group and 218 in the outpatient group; the mean age was 172.5 and 145.5 months in the groups, respectively. The rates of obesity (22.5% and 6.4%, respectively, p < 0.001) and neurological-neurodevelopmental disorders (8.6% and 1.4%, respectively, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the inpatient group than in the outpatient group. Of the outpatients' parents, 67.4% (n = 147) were fully vaccinated vs. 38.4% (n = 58) in the inpatient group. In all, 39.7% (n = 60) of the inpatients' parents were unvaccinated vs. 18.3% (n = 40) in the outpatient group. There was a significant correlation between the vaccination status and the patient groups (p < 0.001); it was determined that the COVID-19 infection would be mild in children if both parents were fully vaccinated. When both parents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the hospitalization rate decreased and the outpatient follow-up rate increased.

Conclusion: Having both parents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can indirectly protect their subsequently infected children from hospitalization and the long-term effects of infection. Nonetheless, more comprehensive research on delta and non-delta variants is needed.