ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the swift development of multiple vaccinations. Vaccine side effects were well-documented in the healthy adult cohort and included fever and lymphadenopathy, however, side effects in the pediatric immunocompromised population have not been reported. This retrospective study investigated vaccine-eligible children and adolescent young adult oncology patients 12 to 35 years old. We found uncommon, mild, and self-limiting side effects among pediatric cancer patients and survivors. This data will help guide pediatric and AYA oncologists in providing anticipatory guidance and serve as a guide to managing lymphadenopathy as a potential confounder of malignancy.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Lymphadenopathy , Neoplasms , Adolescent , Young Adult , Humans , Child , Adult , COVID-19 Vaccines , Retrospective Studies , Neoplasms/epidemiology , VaccinationABSTRACT
Vulnerable patient populations have seen decreased rates of vaccination against SARS-CoV2-19 (COVID-19) due to hesitancies and distrust, magnified by a paucity of data for certain populations. The rate of COVID-19 vaccination in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) remains low despite the risk for severe complications, resulting in continued infections and hospitalizations from COVID-19. We sought to describe vaccine reactions, including vaso-occlusive crises, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, in children with SCD. Our findings will start to provide the necessary vaccine side effect data to inform patients, caregivers, and clinicians considering the COVID-19 primary vaccination series.
