Routine SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination for all children*

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented health and economic losses. Children generally present with less severe disease from this virus compared with adults, yet neonates and children with COVID-19 can require hospitalization, and older children can develop severe complications, such as the multisystem inflammatory syndrome, resulting in >1500 deaths in children from COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. The introduction of effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in school-age children and adult populations combined with the emergence of new, more highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants has resulted in a proportional increase of infections in young children. Here, we discuss (1) the current knowledge on pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis in comparison with adults, (2) the data on vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy in children, and (3) the benefits of early life SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. K E Y W O R D S children, infant immunity, MIS-C, SARS-CoV-2, vaccines *This article is part of a series of reviews covering SARS-CoV-2 Immunity appearing in Volume 309 of Immunological Reviews.

Indirect Dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 Live-Attenuated Vaccine and Its Contribution to Herd Immunity

“…(c) combination of natural dispersion and massive vaccination: in some countries, the combination of natural infections and massive vaccination has resulted in a percentage of immune persons near the one required to achieve HI, even though in several of these countries, children have not been vaccinated [ 150 , 151 ] nor the individuals that oppose vaccination [ 136 , 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 ]. SARS-CoV-2 LAVs are still in preclinical and clinical studies, and it takes a longer time for their approval because more strict biosecurity criteria must be met [ 152 , 153 , 154 , 155 , 156 , 157 ].…”

Immunity to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection*

“…Drs. Kristina De Paris and Sallie Permar of the UNC School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, respectively, share their knowledge regarding pediatric SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and the importance of early life SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination 15 . It is a timely review of the risks and benefits of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in early life which in the end advocates for the SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine to “become a routine pediatric vaccine recommended and available worldwide.”…”