Risk of COVID-19 in Children Throughout the Pandemic and the Role of Vaccination: A Narrative Review

Overview

Journal Vaccines (Basel)

Date 2024 Sep 28

PMID 39340021

Authors

David J Weber

Kanecia O Zimmerman

Sara Y Tartof

John M McLaughlin

Shanti Pather

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, persons ≥65 years of age and healthcare personnel represented the most vulnerable groups with respect to risk of infection, severe illness, and death. However, as the pandemic progressed, there was an increasingly detrimental effect on young children and adolescents. Severe disease and hospitalization increased over time in pediatric populations, and containment measures created substantial psychosocial, educational, and economic challenges for young people. Vaccination of children against COVID-19 has been shown to reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and severe outcomes in pediatric populations and may also help to prevent the spread of variants of concern and improve community immunity. This review discusses the burden of COVID-19 on children throughout the pandemic, the role of children in disease transmission, and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination.

References

Schlinkmann K, Bakuli A, Karch A, Meyer F, Dreesman J, Monazahian M . Transmission of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in German households with children attending child care. Epidemiol Infect. 2018; 146(5):627-632. PMC: 9134537. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818000316. View

Vandenberg O, Martiny D, Rochas O, van Belkum A, Kozlakidis Z . Considerations for diagnostic COVID-19 tests. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2020; 19(3):171-183. PMC: 7556561. DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-00461-z. View

Levy M, Recher M, Hubert H, Javouhey E, Flechelles O, Leteurtre S . Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children by COVID-19 Vaccination Status of Adolescents in France. JAMA. 2021; 327(3):281-283. PMC: 8689418. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.23262. View

Liguoro I, Pilotto C, Bonanni M, Ferrari M, Pusiol A, Nocerino A . SARS-COV-2 infection in children and newborns: a systematic review. Eur J Pediatr. 2020; 179(7):1029-1046. PMC: 7234446. DOI: 10.1007/s00431-020-03684-7. View

Aw J, Seng J, Seah S, Low L . COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy-A Scoping Review of Literature in High-Income Countries. Vaccines (Basel). 2021; 9(8). PMC: 8402587. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9080900. View

Osmanov I, Spiridonova E, Bobkova P, Gamirova A, Shikhaleva A, Andreeva M . Risk factors for post-COVID-19 condition in previously hospitalised children using the ISARIC Global follow-up protocol: a prospective cohort study. Eur Respir J. 2021; 59(2). PMC: 8576804. DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01341-2021. View

Elias M, Truong D, Oster M, Trachtenberg F, Mu X, Jone P . Examination of Adverse Reactions After COVID-19 Vaccination Among Patients With a History of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2023; 6(1):e2248987. PMC: 9857632. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.48987. View

Nikolopoulou G, Maltezou H . COVID-19 in Children: Where do we Stand?. Arch Med Res. 2021; 53(1):1-8. PMC: 8257427. DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2021.07.002. View

Yung C, Pang D, Kam K, Lye D, Ong B, Chong C . BNT162b2 vaccine protection against omicron and effect of previous infection variant and vaccination sequence among children and adolescents in Singapore: a population-based cohort study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2023; 7(7):463-470. PMC: 10185330. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(23)00101-3. View

10.

Patone M, Mei X, Handunnetthi L, Dixon S, Zaccardi F, Shankar-Hari M . Risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Med. 2021; 28(2):410-422. PMC: 8863574. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01630-0. View

11.

Kaku Y, Yo M, Tolentino J, Uriu K, Okumura K, Ito J . Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 KP.3, LB.1, and KP.2.3 variants. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024; 24(8):e482-e483. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00415-8. View

12.

Piroth L, Cottenet J, Mariet A, Bonniaud P, Blot M, Tubert-Bitter P . Comparison of the characteristics, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza: a nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study. Lancet Respir Med. 2020; 9(3):251-259. PMC: 7832247. DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30527-0. View

13.

Anderson E, Campbell J, Creech C, Frenck R, Kamidani S, Munoz F . Warp Speed for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccines: Why Are Children Stuck in Neutral?. Clin Infect Dis. 2020; 73(2):336-340. PMC: 7543330. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1425. View

14.

Farronato M, Dolci C, Boccalari E, Izadi S, Salvatierra Rios L, Festa M . Serological Profile of Children and Young Adults with at Least One SARS-CoV-2 Positive Cohabitant: An Observational Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(4). PMC: 7914765. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041488. View

15.

Gruell H, Vanshylla K, Tober-Lau P, Hillus D, Schommers P, Lehmann C . mRNA booster immunization elicits potent neutralizing serum activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Nat Med. 2022; 28(3):477-480. PMC: 8767537. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01676-0. View

16.

Zou J, Kurhade C, Patel S, Kitchin N, Tompkins K, Cutler M . Neutralization of BA.4-BA.5, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1 with Bivalent Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2023; 388(9):854-857. PMC: 9891359. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2214916. View

17.

Chemaitelly H, Coyle P, Ben Kacem M, Ayoub H, Tang P, Hasan M . Protection of natural infection against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant. J Travel Med. 2024; 31(4). PMC: 11149714. DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taae053. View

18.

Davies P, Evans C, Kanthimathinathan H, Lillie J, Brierley J, Waters G . Intensive care admissions of children with paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) in the UK: a multicentre observational study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020; 4(9):669-677. PMC: 7347350. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30215-7. View

19.

Yue C, Song W, Wang L, Jian F, Chen X, Gao F . ACE2 binding and antibody evasion in enhanced transmissibility of XBB.1.5. Lancet Infect Dis. 2023; 23(3):278-280. PMC: 9897732. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00010-5. View

20.

Jorgensen S, Hernandez A, Fell D, Austin P, DSouza R, Guttmann A . Maternal mRNA covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy and delta or omicron infection or hospital admission in infants: test negative design study. BMJ. 2023; 380:e074035. PMC: 9903336. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-074035. View