AUTHOR=Azoicai Alice Nicoleta , Miron Ingrith , Lupu Ancuta , Alexoae Monica Mihaela , Starcea Iuliana Magdalena , Alecsa Mirabela , Lupu Vasile Valeriu , Danielescu Ciprian , Nedelcu Alin Horatiu , Salaru Delia Lidia , Dragan Felicia , Ioniuc Ileana 

TITLE=COVID-19 vaccination: challenges in the pediatric population

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1390951

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1390951

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Vaccination is considered to be one of the most effective means of protecting individuals and populations from the risks associated with exposure to various pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), affected people of all ages worldwide. In response, several pharmaceutical companies rapidly leveraged their resources to develop vaccines within a very short period of time, leading to the introduction of new, improved, and combination vaccines for community-wide immunization. This review aims to provide a summary of the available literature on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the pediatric population ranging from 0 to 18 years. An analysis of recent published studies reveals that the majority of clinical trials have reported a sustained immune response following COVID-19 vaccination in children across various age groups worldwide. The majority of the authors highlighted the effectiveness and safety of immunization schedules in children and adolescents. The population-level efficacy of this vaccination remains to be determined, provided that the benefits outweigh the potential risks. Long-term side effects must still be monitored to enable the development of safer and more effective vaccines for future pandemics.