The number of children treated for Kawasaki disease has doubled compared to the average of the previous five years, according to the latest figures from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children under five in the UK and can be fatal if not treated in time.
In 2020/21, 706 children received treatment for Kawasaki disease – double the average of 336 children per year for the previous five years. In 2020, reports of a Kawasaki-like disease following exposure to COVID-19, emerged in the US and Europe. The World Health Organization is examining possible links with COVID-19.
Due to the increase, NHSBT is calling on more people to donate plasma. Plasma is used to make immunoglobulin, a medicine used to treat the disease.
