Evidence and rationale for vaccinating children and adolescents against SARS-CoV-2
Vaccines remain the most rigorous and cost-effective weapon of the public health care system against infectious diseases. The development of safe and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 emerged as an imperative response to the unprecedented morbidity and mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent immense pressure on health care systems, families and global society. Despite the typically mild disease course of SARS-CoV-2 in minors, the associated rare but potentially life-threatening complications, as well as the emergence of new highly transmissible variants, led promptly to the extension of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in children and adolescents. To date, various COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been successfully trialed in pediatric populations, followed by their incorporation into corresponding vaccination campaigns in both high- and low-income countries. However, the universal COVID-19 vaccination of children and adolescents remains a matter of debate, along with skepticism about their overall safety and benefits in this age group.
The team of Dr. Nikolaos Karantaglis and Dr. Antonios Gkantaras (Corresponding Authors) recently published a narrative review in Signa Vitae, titled, “Evidence and rationale for vaccinating children and adolescents against SARS-CoV-2: a comprehensive narrative review”, which paying attention to this controversial topic of concern.
Dr. Gkantaras introduced to the readers, that “we illustrate the real burden of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents, providing evidence to support the need for vaccinating this age group against SARS-CoV-2. We believe that this work constitutes an effective response to vaccine skepticism, shedding light to the favourable safety/effectiveness profile of COVID-19 vaccines in minors.”
He added “To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to include a comprehensive list of COVID-19 vaccine candidates trialed in children worldwide, highlighting the intensive global scientific efforts to develop safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for this particular age group.”
Contact the author(s):
Nikolaos Karantaglis, karantaglis@yahoo.com
Antonios Gkantaras, ant.gkantaras@gmail.com