Children with asthma are to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccinations as they have a higher risk of being hospitalised due to Covid infections.  A new study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal has observed that children suffering from poorly controlled asthma are at greater risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation compared to those with well-controlled asthma, or non-asthamtic children. 

The study analysed as many as 7,52,867 children aged 5-17 years living in Scotland, UK and found that 8.4 percent of them had asthma and 6.8 percent had a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of this, over 1.5 percent were hospitalised, with 9 children having very severe outcomes including death. On the other hand, the researchers noted that of the 40,231 non-asthmatic Covid-infected children, only 382 were hospitalized. They highlighted the importance of early vaccinations for asthmatic children and advised parents and guardians to monitor the children carefully if they contact Covid-19.