COVID-19

Donna Hallas, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN, highlights key takeaways from our October Vaccine issue of Contemporary Pediatrics.

A single dose of the mRNA-1273.222 vaccine demonstrated strong immune responses against various omicron subvariants and showed a favorable safety profile compared to existing vaccines.

The federal agency advised manufacturers in June that 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines should be monovalent JN.1, with the preferred lineage being the KP.2 strain.

Data from an Italy cohort show wheezing episodes decreased by more than 40% among children born during the COVID-19 lockdown period versus a pre-pandemic cohort.

Matthew M Davis, MD, MAPP, elaborates on how higher COVID-19 vaccination rates may curb the virus, alleviate childhood asthma symptoms, and protect against other common colds.

Get caught up with our journal! Review some of the top stories from the Contemporary Pediatrics website over the last week, and catch up on anything you may have missed.

Over the winter, the omicron JN.1 lineages overtook XBB strains as dominant.

New cohort analyses observe a statistically raised risk of myocarditis, pericarditis and seizures among certain age groups, though the data do not go against FDA recommendations.

An assessment into development scores before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic show children aged 0 - 5 years old may only had been minimally impacted in communication and problem-solving skills.

This analysis looked at the potential connection between SARS-CoV-2 test positivity and new asthma diagnoses.

Of the 600,238 bivalent vaccine doses administered by all providers in the study period, 35,114 (5.9%) were done so by FRPP partners.

New data demonstrates protection against new variants.

Insights between the pandemics, with a highlight on the dose-response relationship, "could be valuable in preparing health care systems for future pandemics," concluded the investigators.

The initial dose of pemivibart is 4500 mg, which is administered as a single intravenous infusion. A repeat 4500 mg dose should be administered every 3 months if ongoing protection is needed, stated the FDA.

Guidance now aligns with isolation recommendations for influenza and other respiratory illnesses.

Investigators recently noted that despite a decrease in adolescent hospital visits during the height of the pandemic, there was an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in this population group.

Though revisions have been made to the emergency use authorization (EUA), the FDA stated in a press release that the EUA will continue to authorize emergency use in children aged 12 years and older who are at high risk of severe COVID-19.

Investigators of a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics concluded that maternal vaccination was safe with regard to neurodevelopment of the child at ages 12 months and 18 months.

Investigators of a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated efficacy against the Delta and Omicron variants of COVID-19 in children and adolescents, offering new, extended follow-up period data.

While the study detected a rise in chronic symptoms among children who developed post-COVID-19 condition, the likelihood of initial development was minimal.

Steven Selbst, MD, provides an update as to what he is seeing in the emergency department related to influenza, RSV, and COVID-19.

The estimated efficacy of the vaccine against documented infection for children and adolescents during the Omicron wave was 74.3% and 85.5%, respectively.

Biopharmaceutical company, Invivyd, made the request to the FDA for its investigational antibody, VYD222.

In 43 of 154 school weeks, air samples were positive for influenza A virus (IAV) while SARS-CoV-2 was positive in air samples in 101 of 154 school weeks.

A recently published study on 17 million children found combined flu and COVID-19 vaccines offered superior protection against hospitalization, MIS-C, and death during the pandemic.

The FDA was made aware some health care providers had administered the full single dose vial of the vaccine, which contains “notably more” volume than the 0.25 mL volume indicated for children aged 6 months to 11 years.

The combination vaccine candidates demonstrated a safety profile consistent with Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. A phase 3 trial is anticipated to commence in the coming months, according to a press release from Pfizer.

Eculizumab and anakinra should be considered in critically ill patients with severe infections that require immunomodulating therapies for life-threatening dysregulation, according to a poster session at the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition.

Review some of the top stories from the Contemporary Pediatrics website over the last week, and catch up on anything you may have missed.

Individuals 12 years and older can now receive the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted (2023-2024 Formula) (NVX-CoV2601) to protect against variants that are currently circulating, after receiving an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.