COVID & Children Under 2 - thanks efamily member Francine Prosser-Johnson for sharing!

 

Friday, May 28, 2021

Holiday Message In observance of the U.S. federal Memorial Day holiday, we will not publish on Monday, May 31, 2021. Service will resume on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. We wish our readers a safe holiday.

AAP Resources for COVID-19 Visit the COVID-19 vaccine for children page on AAP.org to find guidance on vaccine implementation, coding information, educational resources for clinicians and families, an FAQ, and more. For questions or comments related to the pandemic, email COVID-19@aap.org.

LEADING THE NEWS AAP Says Children At Least Two Years Old Who Have Not Been Vaccinated Should Continue Wearing Masks Fox News (5/27) reports children who are at least two years old and who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 “should continue to wear masks, according to the” AAP, “in line with guidance from the” CDC. AAP President Dr. Lee Savio Beers said in a statement, “The COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably effective, but we must stay vigilant. Children under age 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine, so it’s smart to be cautious and careful, especially when they are playing with friends, accompanying their parents to the grocery store, attending school or camp, and in any other situation in which they are around groups of people, some of whom may not be fully vaccinated.”         FURTHER READING         AAP: Masks Encouraged For Camp, Child Care, School To Prevent COVID-19 Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe And Effective For Adolescents In Phase 3 Trial MedPage Today (5/27) reports researchers found in a phase 3 trial that “Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective in adolescents, with non-inferior immunogenicity compared with a sample of younger adults.” The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.         FURTHER READING         FDA Gives OK To Refrigerate Thawed, Undiluted Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine For 1 Month FDA Official Says Myocarditis Is Rare Among Adolescents, Young Adults Who Receive COVID-19 Vaccines, Connection To Shot Remains Unclear CNBC (5/27) reports Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, said myocarditis appears to be very rare among adolescents and young adults who receive COVID-19 vaccines and that it’s still unclear if the condition is related to the vaccines. The CDC’s vaccine safety group announced last week it was investigating “relatively few” reports of myocarditis among people who received vaccines.         FURTHER READING         CDC Releases Guidance For Clinicians On Heart Inflammation After COVID-19 Vaccination         Pediatricians Should Report Cases Of Heart Inflammation After COVID-19 Vaccination FDA Advises Against Use Of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Tests To Evaluate Immunity From COVID-19 After Vaccination Infectious Disease Advisor (5/27) reports the FDA “is advising against the use of SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests to evaluate immunity or protection from COVID-19 after vaccination.” According to the agency’s “safety communication, currently authorized SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are not validated to evaluate immunity or protection from COVID-19,” and they “have also not been evaluated to assess the level of immunity or protection provided by an immune response to COVID-19 vaccination.”         FURTHER READING         FDA: Do Not Use Antibody Tests To Assess Immunity After COVID-19 Vaccination

What to Know About Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and COVID-19 Vaccine  Federal health officials have released guidance for clinicians on diagnosing, managing, and reporting myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults after COVID-19 vaccination. The CDC is actively monitoring these heart inflammation reports and calls the cases rare. Find more information here:  AAP News story Clinical Considerations from the CDC HealthyChildren.org article from Yvonne Maldonado, MD, FAAP For the latest news in pediatrics, visit AAP News

HEALTH POLICY & REGULATION Texas Senate Passes Legislation To Increase Medicaid Access For New Mothers, But Fails To Take Up Bill Making It Easier For Low-Income Children To Stay On Medicaid According to the San Antonio Express-News (5/27), early on May 27, the Texas Senate “passed legislation...that would increase Medicaid access for new moms but failed to take up another measure that would make it easier for low-income children to stay on the safety net coverage.” The Express-News adds, “This is the second straight legislative cycle that the targeted expansions have come up against a procedural gauntlet despite wide support.” San Francisco’s Ban On Flavored Vaping Products May Have Increased High School Students’ Use Of Conventional Cigarettes, Study Indicates HealthDay (5/27) reports researchers found “a ban on flavored vaping products in San Francisco may have increased high school students’ use of conventional cigarettes.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.         FURTHER READING         High Rates Of Teen Vaping Reported In Early 2020 PEDIATRIC PRACTICE Researchers Say Physicians Are In Favor Of Permanent Telehealth Expansion Healthcare IT News (5/27) reports researchers at Syracuse University “found that physicians are in favor of expanding telehealth permanently.” The findings were published in JMIR Human Factors.         FURTHER READING         Resources For Telehealth Visits ALSO IN THE NEWS Many Teachers Say They Are Ready To Return To Classrooms In The Fall The Wall Street Journal (5/27, Subscription Publication) reports after a year of teachers unions resisting calls to reopen schools, unions and many teachers now say they are ready to return to the classroom in the fall. As a result, school districts in Los Angeles, Chicago, and elsewhere are preparing to reopen in the fall after being closed for over a year. THURSDAY'S LEAD STORIES  • Coronavirus Immunity Lasts At Least A Year, Two Studies Indicate  • DC-Area School System Takes Steps To Add Mental Health As Reason For Missing School  • Researchers Observe Shift In Care For Children With IBD From Hospitalizations To Outpatient Visits  • Immediate “Kangaroo Care” For Infants Born With Low Birth Weight Led To Substantially Lower Risk Of Early Death, Study Finds  • GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Can Improve Asthma Symptoms In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Asthma, Study Indicates