MONDAY, Nov. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The COVID vaccine appears to provide a health boost to children with eczema, a new study says.
Kids with eczema (atopic dermatitis) appear to experience fewer infections and allergic complications if they get the COVID jab, researchers reported over the weekend at a meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando, Florida.
“Our study suggests that COVID-19 vaccination not only protects against coronavirus but may also have broader health benefits for children with atopic dermatitis,” said senior researcher Dr. Zhibo Yang, a pediatrician at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
“We found lower rates of both allergic conditions and infections among vaccinated children compared to their unvaccinated peers,” he said in a news release.
For the study, researchers compared nearly 5,800 children with eczema who’d gotten the COVID vaccine against the same number of unvaccinated kids with eczema.
Results showed that the vaccinated children had a:
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38% lower risk of ear infections
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40% lower risk of pneumonia
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52% lower risk of bronchitis and bronchiolitis
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46% lower risk of non-COVID viral infections
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45% lower risk of sinusitis
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35% lower risk of upper respiratory infections
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44% lower risk of skin infections
COVID-vaccinated children also had a lower risk of allergic complications like asthma (30% lower), allergic rhinitis (44%), and contact dermatitis (46%), researchers found.
Further, results showed the jab appeared to delay the onset of conditions like ear infections, bronchiolitis, viral infections, upper respiratory infections and allergic rhinitis.
The vaccine appears to provide an immune system boost, although researchers could not say exactly how it does that.
“Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition driven by the immune system and often precedes the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis,” lead researcher Tristan Nguyen, a student at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said in a news release. “Children with AD are also at higher risk for infections, including those affecting the skin and respiratory system.”
Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID vaccination for children.
SOURCE: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, news release, Nov. 6, 2025
