News & Updates

COVID-19 remains a global health concern, and children and adolescents are equally affected. In fact, COVID-19 hospitalization rates in children increased during the Omicron era. [MMWR 2022;71:271-278] In children aged 5–11 years who were hospitalized during the predominance of Omicron, nearly 90 percent were unvaccinated. [MMWR 2022;71:574-581]

COVID-19 vaccine boosters provide protection against Omicron infection and related hospitalization among people with substance use disorder, researchers from the University of Hong Kong have reported.

A 3-year course of weekly oral vitamin D supplementation, while safe and effective at increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations, does little to reduce the risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) infection in children, as shown in the results of a phase III study.

Vaccination with either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 results in a comparable risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) using immunomodulatory medication, a study has shown.

For children and adolescents who have been previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination with BNT162b2 appears to provide additional protection against omicron BA.4 or BA.5 and XBB variant infections, according to a study from Singapore.