Infectious Diseases

Pediatric influenza-associated deaths for the 2024-25 season were second-highest recorded since becoming notifiable in 2004.

Members of the Contemporary Pediatrics Editorial Advisory Board react to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' September 2025 meeting.

The Committee voted against a proposed recommendation that "state and local jurisdictions should require a prescription for the administration of a COVID-19 vaccination.

Capvaxive was superior to PPSV23 for each of the 9 serotypes unique to Capvaxive and non inferior to PPSV23 for the 12 shared serotypes.

Get caught up with Contemporary Pediatrics! This list helps you navigate our top stories from the week, all in one place.

Universal EHR-based decision support eliminated racial disparities in adolescent chlamydia and gonorrhea testing in pediatric EDs.

FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines for 2025-2026 but limits pediatric access, restricting use to older and high-risk groups.

Immune surveillance study shows pandemic interventions suppressed viral exposure in children, driving post-COVID resurgence and future outbreak risk.

Low-dose methylprednisolone is as effective as high-dose for severe pediatric MPP and has fewer side effects, supporting safer treatment strategies.

Biennial HPV testing and higher vaccination rates could help South Korea eliminate cervical cancer up to a decade earlier than current policy.

The baby had mild respiratory distress after delivery and briefly required supplemental blow-by oxygen during transitioning.

The AAP recommends that all children aged 6 months to 23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as this group has the highest risk for severe infection.

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Among adolescents aged 13 to 17, coverage with 1 or more Tdap doses increased from 89% to 91.3% from 2023 to 2024.

The authors of a recent study on flu-linked necrotizing encephalopathy in children present a deep dive into their findings and the biggest takeaways from the study.

As families prepare for a new school year, pediatricians are essential in helping parents navigate immunization schedules and school requirements and ensuring vaccine confidence.

New CDC data show fewer kindergartners are fully vaccinated as exemption rates increased during the 2024-2025 school year.

Pediatricians are urged to follow 2024 guidelines amid ACIP upheaval, vaccine hesitancy, and access issues as children head back to school.

“While our study is small, its results are powerful and have implications not only for MIS-C, but potentially for long COVID,” said lead author Lael Yonker, MD.

Of the 253 influenza-related pediatric deaths through June 21, 2025, 42.7% occurred in children without a high-risk medical condition.

Get caught up with Contemporary Pediatrics! This list helps you navigate our top stories from the week, all in one place.

This week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr signed the ACIP's recommendation to remove the mercury-based preservative from all influenza vaccines.

Nirsevimab reduced RSV-related illness by up to 98% and lowered the amount of hospitalizations and health care use among healthy term infants in a real-world study.

Early antibiotic exposure disrupts infant immune development by altering gut microbiota, highlighting inosine's potential as a therapeutic target for immune restoration.

A newly-published study identified specific groups of higher-risk children that could benefit most from monoclonal antibodies.

A week into July 2025, the total reported cases in the United States have surpassed the peak of 1274 cases recorded for all 2019.

Six medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, are suing the HHS and its Secretary to "defend vaccine policy."

Mycoplasma pneumoniae caused 1 in 2 pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations in 2024, with sharp increases seen across all age groups, according to a recent CDC MMWR report.

The final recommendation sign off decision will go to HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The American Academy of Pediatrics will continue to hold its own childhood vaccine schedule, as it has since the 1930s.