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Is there a role for childhood vaccination against COVID-19?

Christiane Sigrid Eberhardt1,2,3, Claire-Anne Siegrist1,2

  • 1Center for Vaccinology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|October 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 vaccines require demonstrated safety and efficacy in children to justify widespread use. The pandemic also threatens routine childhood immunizations, risking a rise in preventable diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates rapid vaccine development for vulnerable populations.
  • Current vaccine candidates are primarily tested in adults, raising questions about pediatric application.
  • Children exhibit lower COVID-19 incidence and severity but can transmit the virus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review COVID-19 vaccine platforms being tested for potential use in children.
  • To discuss the practical and ethical considerations surrounding childhood COVID-19 vaccination.
  • To highlight the pandemic's negative impact on routine childhood immunizations.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current COVID-19 vaccine platforms.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data regarding COVID-19 in children.
  • Discussion of ethical and practical challenges for pediatric vaccine implementation.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 vaccine development is progressing rapidly, with adult trials predominating.
  • Childhood COVID-19 vaccination requires robust evidence of safety, efficacy against complications, and transmission reduction.
  • The pandemic has led to decreased routine childhood vaccine uptake, increasing risks for other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood COVID-19 vaccination requires stringent safety and efficacy validation, including transmission prevention.
  • Urgent interventions are needed to counteract declining routine childhood immunization rates during the pandemic.

Keywords:
COVID-19COVID-19 vaccineschildhood vaccinationefficacysafetytransmission of disease

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