Observational studyBMC infectious diseases2026
COVID-19 burden in the paediatric population in Latin America during vaccine rollout: a real-world study using national surveillance data.
Observational study in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe burden of COVID-19 in the paediatric population in low- and middle-income countries is not well characterized. Understanding COVID-19 burden in Latin American (LATAM) countries is essential for implementing effective vaccination policies and strategies for children and adolescents. We aimed to describe the characteristics of COVID-19-confirmed cases, addressing the risk of disease, severity and outcomes of the disease in children and adolescents in four LATAM countries between 2021 and 2022.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study utilizing national surveillance data from the four most populated countries in LATAM, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, focusing on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among children and adolescents under 18 years of age between January 2021 and December 2022. We described sociodemographic characteristics of cases by age. Incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants for confirmed COVID-19 cases were calculated. We estimated hospitalisation and mortality rates (per 100,000 inhabitants) as well as ICU admission and ventilatory support rates (per 100,000 hospitalised cases) per quartile each year, considering the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in each country during the specified period.
resultsIn total 2,863,244 confirmed paediatric COVID-19 cases were included in the analysis: 1,553,234 (54%) from Brazil, 487,247 (17%) from Argentina, 430,131 (15%) from Colombia, and 392,632 (13%) from Mexico. Among confirmed cases, 66,029 (2%) required hospitalisation, and 3,058 (0.1%) died. Meanwhile, 16,941 (1%) cases utilised ventilatory support, and 9,997 (0.4%) were admitted to the ICU (data not available from Colombia). Regarding the risk of disease, rates of confirmed COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants were higher in cases aged 12–17 years (peaked at 1,856 per 100,000 inhabitants), whereas the risk of severe outcomes among cases were higher in children under 2 years (peaked at 170.22 and 7.36 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively for hospitalisation and death). Rates of all study outcomes were higher in unvaccinated cases in Colombia and Brazil.
conclusionsOur findings demonstrate that COVID-19 imposes a substantial burden among children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in LATAM countries, associated with significant rates of hospitalizations and deaths, particularly in children under 2 years of age. This situation underscores the necessity of adopting targeted vaccination strategies that address the specific needs of the region.
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