The Attitudes of the Patients with the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Secondary to SARS-CoV-2 Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines

Abstract

Objective: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children is an abnormal immune response that occurs after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. To our knowledge, there is no study demonstrating the efficacy and safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in children who were diagnosed with MIS-C previously. In this study, we aimed to present the attitudes of MIS-C patients over the age of 12 years towards the COVID-19 vaccine, and the side effects of the vaccine in vaccinated patients.

Materials and Methods: The files of patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of MIS-C between May 2020 and January 2022 aged 12 years and over were reviewed retrospectively.

Results: Thirty-six patients (12 girls, 24 boys) were included in the study. The median age was 13.5 (12-17) years. Eight of the 36 patients (22.2%) were vaccinated at a median of 3 (3-6) months after the diagnosis of MIS-C. No side effects or disease reactivation was observed following vaccination. The most common reasons for patients' refusal to be vaccinated were having had the disease and being concerned about a recurrence.

Conclusion: This study showed that COVID-19 vaccination was safe in children who were diagnosed with MIS-C, although most of our patients were against it.

Keywords

• BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine
• multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
• vaccine safety

Çocuklarda COVID-19’a İkincil Gelişen Multisistemik İnflamatuar Sendrom Tanılı Hastaların COVID-19 Aşısına Karşı Tutumları

Öz

Amaç: Çocuklarda multisistemik inflamatuar sendrom (MIS-C); SARS-CoV-2 ile enfekte olduktan sonra ortaya çıkan anormal bir bağışıklık yanıtıdır. Bu hastalarda BNT162b2 mRNA aşısının etkinliğini ve güvenliğini ortaya koyan bir çalışma yoktur. Bu çalışmada MIS-C tanısı almış 12 yaşın üzerindeki hastalarımızın COVID-19 aşısına karşı tutumları ve eğer aşılandılarsa gelişen yan etkileri sunmayı amaçladık.

Materyal ve Metot: Çalışmada Mayıs 2020-Ocak 2022 tarihleri arasında MIS-C tanısı ile takip edilen 12 yaş ve üzeri olguların dosyaları geriye dönük olarak taranarak hasta ve ailesine ait aşılanma bilgileri edinildi.

Bulgular: Çalışmaya 36 hasta (12 kız, 24 erkek) dahil edildi. Ortanca yaşları 13,5 (12-17) yıldı. Sekiz hasta (%22,2) MIS-C tanısından ortanca üç (üç-altı) ay sonra aşı olmuştu. Aşı sonrası herhangi bir yan etki saptanmadı ve hiçbir çocukta hastalık reaktivasyonu olmadı. Hastaların aşı olmayı reddetmelerinin en sık nedenleri; hastalığı geçirmiş olmaları ve hastalığın tekrarlayabileceği korkusuydu.

Sonuç: MIS-C tanılı olguların SARS-CoV-2 aşılarına karşı tutumunu değerlendiren bu çalışmada; çoğu hasta ve ebeveynlerinin COVID-19 aşısı olmaya karşı olduğu, aşı olan grupta ise aşının güvenli olduğu gösterildi.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Aşı güvenliği
• BNT162b2 mRNA aşısı
• çocuklarda multisistemik inflamatuar sendrom

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