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Epidemiology of Febrile Seizures During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program-Active

Karina A Top1,2,3, Hennady P Shulha4,5, Fahima Hassan2

  • 1From the Canadian Center for Vaccinology, IWK Health and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|February 19, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Febrile seizures in children were more often linked to infections like SARS-CoV-2 than to immunizations. This active surveillance study highlights infection as a primary cause of febrile seizures in pediatric cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Febrile seizures are common in children.
  • The role of infections versus vaccinations in febrile seizures requires ongoing investigation.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new considerations for pediatric health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the association between infections (including SARS-CoV-2) and adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with febrile seizures in children.
  • To compare the frequency of febrile seizures related to infection versus vaccination.

Main Methods:

  • Active surveillance of febrile seizures was conducted across 12 Canadian pediatric centers.
  • Data collection occurred from August 2021 to December 2022, encompassing 3367 cases.
  • Cases were analyzed for laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, other infections, and AEFI within 15 days of vaccination.

Main Results:

  • Out of 3367 cases, 19% were hospitalized.
  • Laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified in 5% of cases, and non-SARS-CoV-2 infections in 11%.
  • Adverse events following immunization were noted in 3% of cases; febrile seizures were more frequently associated with infection than vaccination.

Conclusions:

  • Infections, particularly SARS-CoV-2, are more commonly associated with febrile seizures in children than are vaccinations.
  • Active surveillance provides crucial data on the etiology of febrile seizures in the pediatric population.
  • Findings support prioritizing the investigation of infectious causes for febrile seizures.

Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2active surveillancefebrile convulsionimmunizationvaccine

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