Publication date: Jun 05, 2026
COVID-19 continues to pose a burden in children under 12 years of age during the Omicron era (November 2021 – December 2025). Following Omicron’s emergence, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence increased rapidly, with most children infected by ages 2-4 years. Pediatric hospitalization rates declined after the initial Omicron wave but remained elevated in children under 2 years and in those with underlying conditions. While healthy children typically experience mild illnesses, severe outcomes – including hospitalization, admission to intensive care unit, death, and multisystem inflammatory syndrome – can occur, particularly in unvaccinated children. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on pediatric COVID-19 epidemiology and vaccine impact, including infection rates, severe outcomes, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (Long COVID), and mRNA vaccine effectiveness and uptake in high-income regions. A literature search included peer-reviewed publications, surveillance data, and reports from health agencies during the Omicron era. mRNA vaccines are effective in reducing pediatric COVID-19-related morbidity, but uptake remains low globally. Addressing parental concerns, improving vaccine accessibility, and promoting evidence-based communication are critical to increasing uptake. Given the continued disease burden and the potential for severe outcomes, ensuring access to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children at higher risk and for families who wish to vaccinate their children is beneficial.
Open Access PDF
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| December | COVID-19 vaccination |
| Hospitalization | hospitalization |
| Inflammatory | omicron variant |
| Mrna | pediatrics |
| SARS-CoV-2 |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | death |
| disease | MESH | syndrome |
| disease | MESH | infection |
| disease | MESH | post-acute COVID-19 syndrome |
| disease | MESH | included |