Vaccination in children with immune-mediated disorders

To present an updated review of recommendations for the vaccination of children with immune-mediated diseases, with an emphasis on rheumatic and inflammatory diseases.

Studies published in the PubMed and Scielo databases between 2002 and 2022, Guidelines of Brazilian Scientific Societies, Manuals and Technical Notes of the Ministry of Health of Brazil, on current immunization schedules for special populations.

Immunosuppressive drugs and biological agents reduce the immunogenicity of vaccines and favor susceptibility to infections. The safety and efficacy of immunogens are important points for vaccination in children with immune-mediated diseases. The safety threshold of a vaccine applied to immunocompromised individuals can be reduced when compared to healthy individuals. Very often, the recommendations for the immunization of children with immune-mediated diseases follow the recommendations for immunocompromised patients. Vaccination against COVID-19, on the other hand, should ideally occur when the disease is stabilized and in the absence of a low degree of immunosuppression. The patients should be informed about the possibility that the immunization may fail during treatment with immunosuppressants. Specific vaccination schedules should be considered to ensure better protection.

Recent studies have allowed updating the recommendations on the safety and immunogenicity of vaccination in children with immune-mediated diseases, especially for live attenuated vaccines. There is a scarcity of data on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in patients, particularly pediatric patients, with rheumatic diseases. The completion of ongoing studies is expected to help guide recommendations on COVID-19 vaccines in this group of patients.