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The clinical knowledge about the course, complications and treatment of COVID-19 in children and adolescents is so far limited.This systematic review summarizes the current scientific evidence regarding the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in hospitalized children based on available case series from China. In addition, first data from a nationwide pediatric hospital survey conducted by the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) are presented.This study evaluated 12 case series from China with 6-2143 children infected with SARS-CoV‑2, which were identified by a literature search in PubMed up to 31 March 2020. The database of the German nationwide DGPI COVID-19 survey was accessed on 6 April 2020.The median patient age in the case series was between 2 and 7 years and 18-45% were infants1 year of age. The duration of hospital stay was 5-20 days. Most commonly reported symptoms were fever and cough; in 40-100% of cases involvement of the lower respiratory tract was reported, usually confirmed by computed tomography (CT). Severe and critical courses of disease were reported in up to 8% of the children including 2 fatalities. So far the German DGPI COVID-19 survey reported 33 hospitalized children up to 6 April 2020, mostly with upper airway infections. Of these children, 45% were infants and 32% had an underlying medical condition. So far 3 children (9%) needed admission to an intensive care unit.COVID-19 in hospitalized children usually presented as an uncomplicated febrile upper airway infection or mild pneumonia. Severe cases or fatalities rarely occurred in children. Information on neonates and children with underlying chronic conditions as well as on therapeutic and preventive measures are urgently needed.

ZusammenfassungDer Erreger der Influenza-Pandemie von 2009/10, A(H1N1)pdm09, manifestierte sich anfänglich mit zum Teil schweren Verläufen vor allem bei älteren Kindern und Jugendli-chen, insbesondere bei Vorliegen einer Grunderkrankung. Während der Pandemie infizierten sich in Deutschland ca. 50 % der 5-bis 17-Jährigen und 25 % der jüngeren Kinder mit diesem Erreger.Seit der Pandemie zirkuliert A(H1N1)pdm09 mit A(H3N2) und Influenza B. Damit stellte A(H1N1)pdm09 einen relevanten Anteil der in Arztpraxen und normalstationär behandelten pädiatrischen Influenza-Erkrankungen, schien aber hier nicht zu schwereren Verläufen zu führen als sonstige zirkulierende (Sub)Typen. Schwere Erkrankungen bei Kindern waren nach wie vor selten; A(H1N1)pdm09 führte allerdings während und nach der Pandemie häufiger zu Intensivstationsaufnahmen als andere zirkulierende (Sub)Typen. Das Alters-spektrum von an A(H1N1)pdm09 erkrankten Intensivpatienten verschob sich post-pandemisch zu jüngeren Kindern.Schwere Erkrankungen mit A(H1N1)pdm09 betreffen nach wie vor vorwiegend Kinder mit Grunderkrankungen. Eine bessere Umsetzung der Influenza-Impfempfehlung für Kinder aus Risikogruppen sollte angestrebt werden.

Administration of two doses of hepatitis A (HA) vaccine to childrenor = 2 years of age has been shown to be protective. The present study assessed whether HA vaccine can be administered as early as 6 months of age and whether it can be administered concomitantly with a hexavalent (HV) vaccine at this age.In an open label, randomized, parallel group study, the liquid HV vaccine (HEXAVAC) (diphtheria, tetanus, 2-component acellular pertussis, inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugated to tetanus protein and hepatitis B) was administered at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age to all children. HA vaccine (VAQTA) was given at 7 and 13 months in the separate administration group (Group 1) and at 6 and 12 months in the concomitant administration group (Group 2). Serum samples were obtained at 2, 7, 12, and 14 months in Group 1 and at 2, 7, 12, and 13 months in Group 2. The primary immunogenicity outcomes were the seroconversion rates for HA 1 month after the second dose of HA vaccine in initially seronegative subjects, and the seroconversion rates for each HV antigen 1 month after the third dose of the HV vaccine (both at 7 months of age).HA seropositivity rates 1 month after the second dose were 100% in both groups, regardless of initial serostatus. The responses to each HV antigen 1 month after the third dose were similar in both groups. The vaccines were generally well tolerated in both groups regardless of vaccine(s) administered.A schedule of two doses of HA vaccine, 6 months apart beginning at 6 months of age is highly immunogenic and well tolerated when administered alone or concomitantly with HV vaccine at 6 and 12 months of age.

To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of Biken acellular pertussis vaccine in combination with diphtheria and tetanus toxoid (Biken DTaP) vaccine administered to children 4 to 6 years of age who had previously received four doses of Biken DTaP.580 children were enrolled to receive one dose of Biken DTaP. Local and systemic reactions were collected by parent diary for all subjects within 3 days after vaccination and in a subset for 14 days. All adverse events occurring within 30 days after vaccination were recorded.Any redness and swelling occurred in 59.8 and 61.4%, respectively. Redness or swelling larger than 5 cm/10 cm occurred in 31%/6.1% and 25%/6.5% of the children, respectively. Any pain was reported in 58.8%, but clinically significant pain occurred in 2.1% of the children. Fever38.0 degrees C occurred in 3.8% of the children. Fussiness, drowsiness, anorexia and vomiting were experienced by 19.7, 15.5, 7.3 and 2.2%, respectively. Sixty-three of 247 adverse events (25%) occurring within 30 days after vaccination were assessed to possibly be vaccine-related. Fifty-eight of the 63 possibly related events (92%) were caused by local reactions as redness, swelling or itchiness. The remaining 5 events included hematoma, headache, stomachache and sleep disturbance. All local and systemic reactions and adverse events resolved without sequelae. Immunogenicity analysis showed a 4-fold antibody increase to pertussis toxin in 97% of subjects and to filamentous hemagglutinin in 82%. All subjects had postvaccination antibody titers of 0.1 IU/ml or greater against diphtheria and tetanus. Higher prevaccination antibody titers against diphtheria toxoid, pertussis toxin and filamentous hemagglutinin were associated with a higher frequency of large local reactions.In comparison with a fourth dose of Biken DTaP administered at 18 to 24 months of age in the same population, the rate of local reactions increased after the fifth dose, whereas systemic reactions remained similarly low or decreased.

To compare the immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent tetanus-diphtheria (low toxoid content)-inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine, Td-IPV (Revaxis; Pasteur Merièux), with a tetanus-diphtheria (low toxoid content) vaccine, Td (Td-Impfstoff Mérieux; Pasteur Merièux), when administered as a booster to children age 6 to 9 years.A group of 301 children were randomized and vaccinated with Td-IPV (n = 150) or Td (n = 151) in this open, controlled, multicenter trial. Serum specimens were obtained before and 28 days after vaccination. Safety was assessed for up to 28 days postvaccination by parental diary cards. Solicited local and systemic reactions were recorded for 7 days after vaccination.Seroprotection (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titer,or =0.10 IU/ml) against tetanus and diphtheria was induced by either Td-IPV or Td in all subjects. Tetanus and diphtheria geometric mean titer were higher after Td (34.0 and 5.74 IU/ml) than after Td-IPV (15.9 and 4.38 IU/ml). All subjects boosted with Td-IPV were seroprotected against each type of poliovirus (neutralizing antibody titer,or =5/dilution). The most frequently reported solicited local and systemic symptoms were pain triggered by movement of the arm (54% vs. 39.1%) and headache (17.3% vs. 7.3%), after Td-IPV and Td, respectively. All other events were similar between the two groups. Reactions were generally mild and all were temporary.A booster dose of Td-IPV induced in all children seroprotection against tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis. The overall safety profile of the two vaccines was acceptable.

Pertussis is one of the most common infectious diseases in children, affecting in particular nonimmunized babies and young children, but increasingly also adolescents and adults. Complications occur for the most part in infants and in addition to infectious complications may also even lead to death from apnea. Since 1991, general pertussis vaccination has been recommended again, but because of the relatively high rate of side effects associated with the whole-cell vaccines available, has remained at a low level. This led to the development of acellular pertussis vaccines with appreciably improved tolerability. A number of these acellular vaccines offer good protection, and are approved for immunization. Owing to their excellent tolerability and the resulting better acceptance, acellular pertussis vaccines can considerably improve the immunization rate. Only in this way will it be possible to reduce the incidence of one of the most common infectious diseases of childhood that is also associated with the highest rate of complications.