Coronavirus disease 2019 in childhood and adolescence: Clinical signs, epidemiology and vaccination program

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) mostly occurs in children and adolescents as an asymptomatic infection. The course of the disease is usually mild or moderate. The estimated seroprevalence in Germany before the start of the vaccination program in children and adolescents was > 10%. Individual risk factors for a severe course are known. The COVID‑19-associated pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) is a very rare and severe disease with a favorable prognosis if diagnosed early and treated appropriately. The data situation on long-COVID syndrome in children and adolescents is still insufficiently defined and the incidence is not known. The primary source of infections in children and adolescents are household contacts. Transmission in school settings and other day care facilities play a subordinate role, at least in Germany. Two mRNA vaccines are currently approved in Europe for the prevention of COVID‑19 in children and adolescents above the age of 12 years. Except for the very rare occurrence of pericarditis/myocarditis in temporal association with the vaccination, especially in young men, the COVID‑19 vaccines are considered effective and safe in the age group 12–17 years. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) issued a vaccination recommendation for all 12–17-year-olds on 19 August 2021.