COVID-19 Vaccination Continues to Reduce Emergency and Urgent Care Visits in Children

COVID-19 vaccination continues to provide meaningful protection for children against medically attended illness. In a study published December 11, 2025 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers found that COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-associated emergency department visits by 76% and urgent care visits by 56% in children during the 2024–25 season.

The analysis, conducted through the CDC’s VISION Network, evaluated vaccine effectiveness among pediatric patients across the United States and reinforces the role of COVID-19 vaccination in preventing more severe disease that leads families to seek urgent or emergency care.

For pediatric primary care teams, these findings support continued strong recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination as part of routine preventive care and an important tool to reduce healthcare utilization and illness severity in children.