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Review
. 2022 Nov 29;10(12):2039.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines10122039.

COVID-19 Epidemiology, Immunity, and Vaccine Development in Children: A Review

Jaime Fergie  1 , Mary M Moran  2 , Alejandro Cane  2 , Shanti Pather  3 , Ӧzlem Türeci  3 , Amit Srivastava  4
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 Epidemiology, Immunity, and Vaccine Development in Children: A Review

Jaime Fergie et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

Although pediatric populations experienced lower COVID-19 severity and mortality than adults, the epidemiology of this disease continues to evolve. COVID-19 clinical manifestations in pediatrics commonly include fever and cough, but may differ from adults and by variant. Serious complications, including MIS-C, rarely occur. Although early data showed a decreased likelihood of COVID-19 transmission from children versus adults, outbreaks and viral shedding studies support pediatric transmission potential. Children may mount more robust initial immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 versus adults. COVID-19 vaccines with available pediatric data include BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, CoronaVac, and BBIBP-CorV. Depending on age group and jurisdiction, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 have received full approval or emergency/conditional authorization in the United States and European Union from 6 months of age. Clinical trials have shown BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 safety and high efficacy in pediatric populations, with demonstrably noninferior immune responses versus young adults. Real-world studies further support BNT162b2 safety and effectiveness against the Delta variant. mRNA vaccination benefits are considered to outweigh risks, including myocarditis; however, pediatric vaccination rates remain relatively low. Given a growing body of clinical trial and real-world data showing vaccine safety and effectiveness, pediatric vaccination should be prioritized as an important strategy to control the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; pediatrics; vaccination; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Jaime Fergie is a speaker for Pfizer, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi; consultant/advisory board member for Pfizer, Merck, Enanta, Novavax, Sanofi, Sobi, Karius, BioFire, and Moderna; and principal investigator for Pfizer, Merck, and AstraZeneca. Mary M. Moran, Alejandro Cane, and Amit Srivastava are employees of Pfizer Inc and may hold stock or stock options. Shanti Pather and Ӧzlem Türeci are employees of BioNTech.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents. ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; CDC, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; EUA, emergency use authorization; MIS-C, multi-inflammatory syndrome in children.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timeline of the Development of BNT162b2 [46,47,51,52,53,54,55,56,57]. CMA, conditional marketing authorization; EUA, emergency use authorization.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information for Healthcare Providers about Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) [(accessed on 30 December 2021)]; Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c/hcp/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2....

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