Webinar on post-COVID-19 condition in children
A webinar on post-COVID-19 condition in children jointly organised by the ECDC and the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) took place on 10 November 2021.
The webinar enabled the sharing of experiences and epidemiological data on post-COVID-19 condition in children between researchers with the aim of shaping future priorities for the condition across Europe.
Participants included members of ESPID, ECDC’s national focal points for COVID-19, and representatives from EU/EEA countries’ National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). Presentations from ECDC, Germany, Italy, Finland, and the United Kingdom provided data in the areas of surveillance and epidemiology of post-COVID-19 condition in the paediatric population. The lack of a standardised syndrome definition and harmonised surveillance protocol were highlighted.
The webinar concluded that while challenges remain to identify the burden of post-COVID-19 condition and its consequences in children, some established networks exist. A collaborative approach involving public health specialists and expert groups is essential in responding to these public health challenges. The importance of developing a European network to assist in better understanding the syndrome, its public health consequences, and burden was endorsed.
