The Pulse - Vaccines (Part II) | BC Children's Hospital Foundation

The Pulse – COVID-19 Vaccines and Kids (Part II)

January 31, 2022

Pediatric infectious diseases expert Dr. Manish Sadarangani, medical microbiologist and pediatric infectious disease physician, Dr. David Goldfarb, and pediatric immunology and allergy specialist, Dr. Kyla Hildebrand, share their latest studies on COVID-19, vaccines, and the impact of these findings for children in BC and beyond.

See below to watch a recording of the Pulse.

Q&A Highlights with Dr. Sadarangani, Dr. Goldfarb and Dr. Hildebrand

How seriously is it impacting children? Are children being hospitalized, and what is the outlook for them? What should parents pay attention to for their kids? 11:07
If a child has been infected, will they develop any immunity against being infected again? 15:40
Share some general insight on the importance of getting kids vaccinated – including the COVID vaccine, flu shots, routine immunizations. How can vaccines treat preventable diseases? 17:58
Has having the Family Immunization Clinic been beneficial in the fight with COVID? Do you offer COVID vaccines to kids? 21:22
How has BCCH experts helped inform decisions or actions at the local and national levels? 24:39
How has BC Children’s led advances in COVID-19 testing, such as the first-ever COVID-19 gargle test? 31:10
What are some side effects or allergy reactions recorded to date? What has Children’s seen, if anything? 37:11
What are some of the most common vaccine hesitancy concerns you’ve heard from parents and others? What information do you have regarding these concerns? 39:37

Other Questions

As there wasn’t time to answer all the thoughtful questions received during the event, we have followed up with Drs. Manish Sadarangani, Goldfarb and Hildebrand to answer more of your questions related to vaccines, infectious diseases and research.

Vaccine Safety To what degree can I safely socialize my children without isolating them from the normal social interaction that they need? What is too much when it comes to placing our children into situations (like playground, indoor play places, community sports programs, etc.) that pose a risk of COVID-19 contraction?

We recommend everyone to follow the public health guidance which is updated regularly. See here for more information: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/more/health-features/coronavirus-disease-covid-19

Are there any specific illnesses or conditions that contraindicate children getting the vaccine?

For more information on specific illnesses/conditions, please see pages 4 and 5 in this document: http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Guidelines%20and%20Forms/Guidelines%20and%20Manuals/Epid/CD%20Manual/Chapter%202%20-%20Imms/Part4/COVID-19_mRNA_Vaccine_Comirnaty_Pediatric.pdf

Could a third dose of vaccine increase the risk of myocarditis in teenagers or children?

There is currently no data to suggest that is the case, but a relatively small number of adolescents and young children have received 3 doses using the extended interval schedule.

Vaccines and Side Effects What are the side effects and risks associated with taking the vaccine for children that have chronic conditions such as severe allergies (e.g. anaphylactic peanut allergy), asthma, or autoimmune disorders – and is it safe for a child to take the vaccine if they have these types of conditions?

To learn more about the side effects and/or risks of the vaccine for children with specific conditions or allergies, please refer to pages 4 and 5 of this document: http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Guidelines%20and%20Forms/Guidelines%20and%20Manuals/Epid/CD%20Manual/Chapter%202%20-%20Imms/Part4/COVID-19_mRNA_Vaccine_Comirnaty_Pediatric.pdf

Is there any concern or indication that the vaccine will have an impact on children’s reproductive systems?

There is no evidence to suggest that and no plausible biological mechanism by which that would occur.

Could the vaccine have an impact on children’s nervous systems?

There are some short-term side effects which in general terms affect the nervous system, such as headache. Rare cases of ‘nerve system’ disorders have been reported with mRNA vaccines in adults (such as facial paralysis/Bell’s palsy). For more information, please refer to this document: http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Guidelines%20and%20Forms/Guidelines%20and%20Manuals/Epid/CD%20Manual/Chapter%202%20-%20Imms/Part4/COVID-19_mRNA_Vaccine_Comirnaty_Pediatric.pdf

Is there a possibility that the vaccine might have long-term effects on developing bodies?

There is no evidence to suggest that and no plausible biological mechanism by which that would occur.

Other Has there been any specific research at BCCH or other respected children’s hospitals on the effect of Covid-19 and the various Covid-19 strains on children with Type 1 diabetes (T1D)? If so, does the research demonstrate higher risks and more challenging outcomes?

Data collected at BCCH and across Canada so far have not identified T1D as a specific risk factor for worse outcomes with COVID-19. The most consistent finding from multiple studies indicates that the presence of multiple co-morbidities is the most significant risk of more severe disease. For more information, please visit the following resource:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34580141/

What is the efficacy of the vaccine on Omicron and its sub-variants?

Short term (2-3 months) effectiveness in adults who have had at least 2 doses plus a booster of an mRNA vaccine is ~60% against any symptomatic infection and ~90% against hospitalization. We do not have vaccine effectiveness data specifically for children.

There have been varying recommendations worldwide regarding how many doses of the COVID-19 vaccine kids need. Do kids need two doses?

Yes – current recommendations for children 5 years and older are 2 doses for most individuals and 3 doses for those with moderate to severe immunosuppression, plus a booster recommended for some. For more information, please see here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci.html

Do children develop the same relative number of neutralizing antibodies and T-/B-cells after COVID-19 vaccinations as adults?

Antibody responses in children aged 5-11 years old receiving 1/3 dose was similar to young adults receiving full dose.

Please note, if your question was specific to your child or family, please reach out to your medical team or family physician directly.

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