The COVID-19 Pandemic and Pediatrics: Update on Vaccines, Variants and Schools

It has been almost a month since Pfizer requested to expand use of its COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15. That request asks the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to amend their vaccine’s emergency use authorization, which the FDA originally granted late last year for people 16 and up. Meanwhile, our colleagues in Michigan are seeing record numbers of hospitalized pediatric patients, creating a greater sense of anticipation and urgency for the vaccine’s approval in adolescents.

Listen to pediatric experts discuss the latest pandemic developments

In this episode Sam Dominguez, MD, Sean O’Leary, MD, and Jessica Cataldi, MD, discuss COVID-19 vaccines, variants, schools and the latest impacts of the pandemic on pediatrics.

Dr. Dominguez is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. O’Leary is an infectious disease physician at Children’s Colorado and Director of the Colorado Pediatric Practice-Based Research Network. He is also a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Cataldi is an infectious disease physician at Children’s Colorado and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Update on the epidemiology of COVID-19 nationally and globally
• Status of national vaccination efforts
• Predictions for herd immunity
• Importance of primary care pediatricians for promoting vaccination
• How new guidance on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is impacting vaccine rollout
• School-based outbreaks of COVID-19
• School-based mitigation measures and vaccination efforts
• Catching kids up on other childhood vaccines
• Travel and activity advice for families with unvaccinated children
• Impact of long COVID on kids

Resources for providers:

• Science: Household COVID-19 Risk and In-Person Schooling

Treatment of infectious diseases at Children’s Colorado

Our pediatric experts in the Infectious Disease Program at Children's Colorado provide a breadth of expertise ranging from laboratory-based research to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Pediatricians can treat many infectious diseases, but when unique or different symptoms are present, it’s important to refer to a pediatric specialist. Our clinical staff has been specially trained on how to identify, isolate and treat patients with COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.