Abstract
Since COVID-19 in the pediatric population is infrequently severe, the indirect costs of the pandemic, related to the measures implemented to deal with the spread of the virus, can be worse than the infection itself. To assess this issue, we evaluated the number of children vaccinated or evaluated for the most common diseases in a poor village in Sierra Leone, showing a worrisome drop in vaccinations performed and children evaluated for acute diseases. Our preliminary findings highlight that support is needed to guarantee basic services to children during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in poor settings where preventive measures can be lifesaving in the long term.
Highlights
After the first description of clusters of pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 in China, the virus has spread all over the world
We noticed that a lower number of children received vaccination in 2020 compared with 2019, ranging from 50 to 85% depending on the individual vaccine analyzed, including BCG and OPV1, which are given directly at birth in Sierra Leone
We only analyzed preliminary data from an extremely poor area, they show an important decline in the vaccination rate and, the difference was not significant, in child visits for acute diseases in the lockdown period in a rural area of Sierra Leone
Summary
After the first description of clusters of pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 in China, the virus has spread all over the world. Since COVID-19 in the pediatric population is infrequently severe [1], the indirect costs of the pandemic, related to the measures implemented to deal with the spread of the virus, can be worse than the infection itself In this scenario, the COVID-19-related effects on child healthcare in Africa can be massive [2], especially in the remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where health, economic, and social monitoring systems are poorly developed. The COVID-19-related effects on child healthcare in Africa can be massive [2], especially in the remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where health, economic, and social monitoring systems are poorly developed This situation may even worsen, considering that several countries are soon entering the rainy season, which has major consequences for daily life and a potential impact on the rate of SARS-CoV-2 spread. A decrease in vaccinations could be among the most feared indirect effects of the pandemic, leading to a possible increase in morbidity and mortality in a population that has been considered to be less involved as regards the severe clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 compared to adults [1]
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