COVID-19 Vaccination Status Among Korean Pediatric Population With Comorbidities

Abstract

The pediatric population with comorbidities is a high-risk group for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of January 2023, the COVID-19 vaccination rate for at least two doses among Korean children 5-11 years is low at 1.1%. We summarized the COVID-19 vaccination status for the pediatric population (5-17 years) with comorbidities through July 2022 using the National Health Insurance Service database. Pediatric patients with comorbidities had higher vaccination rates than the general pediatric population (2.4% vs. 1.1% in 5-11-year-olds [P < 0.001], 76.5% vs. 66.1% in 12-17-year-olds [P < 0.001]). However, there were substantial differences according to comorbidity category, and the 2-dose vaccination rate was lowest among children with immunodeficiency in all age groups (1.1% in 5-11-year-olds, 51.2% in 12-17-year-olds). The COVID-19 vaccination rate among Korean children has remained stagnant at a low proportion despite ongoing outreach. Thus, more proactive strategies are needed alongside continuous surveillance.