CLINICAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND VACCINATION CHARACTERISTICS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME DUE TO COVID-19 IN BRAZIL (2020 TO 2024)

Although less susceptible to severe forms of COVID-19, children and adolescents were also impacted by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), with hospitalizations and deaths. Brazil recorded one of the highest pediatric mortality rates from COVID-19, exposing structural inequalities and failures in the healthcare system. The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical, epidemiological, and vaccination characteristics of children and adolescents with COVID-19-associated SARS in Brazil (2020–2024). This retrospective observational cohort study analyzed public data from 34,369 SARS cases, revealing disparities in the case fatality rate (CFR): the North (13.02%) and Northeast (11.6%) regions, Indigenous populations (22.54%), rural residents (14.34%), municipalities with a low human development index (9.41%), and the 15–19 age group had higher CFRs. The circulation of the Gamma and Delta variants (2021) was associated with peaks in incidence and mortality; however, during the circulation of Omicron (2022–2024), there was high incidence with reduced mortality. The sustained occupancy of pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) (25–32%) after 2022, and the significant increase in the proportion of children aged 0–4 years in ICU admissions, rising from approximately 52% in 2020–2021 to over 78% in 2024, underscores the demand for targeted strategies for the pediatric population. Comorbidities such as immunosuppression (OR: 4.44) and Down syndrome (OR: 3.13) were independent predictors of death. Vaccination demonstrated a protective effect; however, vaccination coverage was uneven: children under 5 years and the North/Northeast regions had the lowest rates. This study demonstrated that COVID-19-associated SARS in the pediatric population was marked by sociodemographic, regional, clinical, and vaccination disparities. Therefore, there is a clear need for integrated policies that include regionalized strategies for vulnerable populations, strengthening of pediatric ICUs, and equitable expansion of vaccination.