Hot Topics in Pediatric Vaccination

Monday, April 28, 2025

9:15am – 10:45am HST

Location: Convention Center: 317

CE: 1.5

Selected By: PIDS

Chair(s)

Ellie Margolis, MD PhD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, United States
Claudia Gaviria-Agudelo, MD (she/her/hers)

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida, United States

Disclosure(s):

Ellie Margolis, MD PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Claudia L. Gaviria-Agudelo, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

This session will provide pediatricians, trainees and subspecialists an insight into the hottest topics in pediatric vaccination, with an emphasis on controversies and new evidence to guide counselling and decision-making.

The session will begin by outlining the history of the advisory committee on immunization practices and its current function. Attendees will learn how decisions are made about recommendations for common childhood vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and whooping cough, emphasizing the deliberations behind these recommendations.

Although most children and adults in the USA have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, community awareness of the research and rigorous testing behind the updated vaccines is very limited. The second session will offer insights into the immune response generated by these vaccines and the available evidence behind these newer vaccines.

In the third seminar, real-world case scenarios will illustrate common situations facing healthcare providers when providing vaccinations for special populations, including managing inadvertent administration of live vaccines in immunocompromised hosts, and additional vaccines for high-risk children.

By the end of the session, attendees will have new perspectives on the vaccine landscape, and expertise in advocating for immunization and public health initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the roles and deliberative approaches of key decision-making organizations contributing to pediatric vaccination schedules
Differentiate between available pediatric COVID-19 vaccines, focusing on mechanism of action, efficacy, and approved age groups, to provide advice and address common questions and concerns
Understand and implement current guidelines for vaccine administration in immunocompromised children

Presentations:

9:15am – 9:45am HST

Who Decides the Vaccine Schedule, How Did We Get Here, and Where Are We Going?
Speaker: Sean T. O'Leary, MD, MPH (he/him/his) – University of Colorado School of Medicine
9:45am – 10:15am HST

Advising Patients and Families About the Newest COVID-19 Vaccines
Speaker: Helen Y. Chu, MD MPH (she/her/hers) – University of Washington School of Medicine
10:15am – 10:45am HST

Adventures and Misadventures in the World of Special Host Vaccination
Speaker: Claudia L. Gaviria-Agudelo, MD (she/her/hers) – University of South Florida