(Radio Iowa) – New research shows COVID-19 vaccines like the Pfizer and Moderna shots are effective in preventing another severe illness affecting children, called multi-system inflammatory syndrome. It causes fever, inflammation and severe illness in two or more organ systems. Its cause is unknown, but it appears to affect children who have had the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Dr. William Ching is a pediatric physician at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.  “The effectiveness of two doses of the mRNA vaccine was 91% in preventing multi-system inflammatory disease in children,” Ching says, “and across 24 pediatric hospitals and kids 12-to-18, all children that were critically ill, named requiring heart or lung life support, were unvaccinated.”

Ching says studies show m-R-N-A vaccines are extremely effective at preventing multi-system inflammatory syndrome, also known as M-I-S-C. “Of the children who are hospitalized with MISC, 95% were unvaccinated,” Ching says, “and the vaccine, the mRNA vaccine was 91% effective in preventing MISC.”

According to state data, just 18% of Iowans ages 5-to-11 are fully vaccinated. Ching made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program Talk of Iowa.

(by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)