VACCINATION OF CHILDREN WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES AGAINST COVID-19 AND INFLUENZA

Mario Šestan, Tajana Đurašin, Marija Jelušić

After the declaration of the pandemic of the disease caused by the coronavirus 19 (COVID-19), an increase in the hospitalization rate of sick children was recorded. Although the majority of children with rheumatic diseases did not have a severe form of COVID-19, with the exception of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), those who had other rheumatic diseases besides juvenile idiopathic arthritis were more likely to have serious outcomes. Therefore, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) COVID‐19 Vaccine Guidance Task Force and the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) recommend vaccination against COVID-19 for children with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Studies have shown a good safety profile of the vaccine, with minimal
or no side effects in most patients, and the most recent research has documented the high efficacy of the vaccine. Children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases have a high risk of serious complications due to influenza infection. Therefore, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and PReS strongly recommend the vaccination of children with inflammatory rheumatic diseases using the seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine, which is also safe and immunogenic.

Nakon proglašenja pandemije bolesti izazvane koronavirusom 19 (COVID-19) bilježi se povećanje stope hospitalizacije oboljele djece. Iako u većine djece s reumatskim bolestima nije bilo teškog oblika COVID-19, izuzevši multisistemski upalni sindrom kod djece (MIS-C), u onih koji su imali druge reumatološke bolesti osim juvenilnoga idiopatskog artritisa zabilježena je veća vjerojatnost ozbiljnih ishoda. Stoga Radna skupina za cijepljenje Američkoga reumatološkog društva (ACR) i Europsko pedijatrijsko reumatološko društvo (PReS) preporučuju cijepljenje protiv COVID-19 za djecu oboljelu od autoimunosnih upalnih reumatskih bolesti. Istraživanja su pokazala dobar sigurnosni profil cjepiva, s minimalnim nuspojavama ili bez njih u većine bolesnika, a najnovije istraživanje dokumentiralo je visoku učinkovitost cjepiva. Djeca i adolescenti s reumatskim bolestima imaju velik rizik od ozbiljnih komplikacija uslijed infekcije gripom. Stoga Europska liga za borbu protiv reumatizma (EULAR) i PReS snažno preporučuju cijepljenje djece s upalnim reumatskim bolestima primjenom sezonskoga neživog cjepiva protiv gripe, a cjepivo je sigurno i imunogenično.