By Ethan Covey

Coinfection of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses is rare in children, but may lead to severe illness, according to a CDC report.

To mitigate the risk for severe respiratory virus–associated illness during periods of high flu and COVID-19 transmission, researchers suggest parents along with the general public should adopt prevention strategies—such as masking—and stay on top of both flu and COVID-19 vaccinations (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71[50]:1589-1596).

The report focuses on 2021-2022 flu season data reported to three CDC surveillance platforms regarding characteristics and prevalence of laboratory-confirmed influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 coinfections among pediatric patients under the age of 18 years who had been hospitalized or died with influenza during the flu season.

Of 575 influenza-associated pediatric hospitalizations, 6% had SARS-CoV-2 coinfections. Additionally, the researchers found coinfections occurred in 16% of children who had influenza-associated deaths.

Most children who had both flu and COVID-19 and were hospitalized or died were unvaccinated against flu, and only one received influenza antivirals.

“Clinicians should follow recommended respiratory virus testing guidance and consider early antiviral treatment of pediatric patients with suspected or confirmed flu who are hospitalized or at increased risk of severe illness, including those with COVID-19 coinfection,” Katherine Adams, MPH, a health scientist in the Influenza Division of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told Infectious Disease Special Edition.

Ms. Adams emphasized the importance of vaccination for both influenza and COVID-19 to protect against severe disease.

Recently, the FDA amended Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines’ emergency use authorizations to include children who are 6 months of age and older.

The amendment was based on previously evaluated data from clinical studies showing the safety and efficacy of both vaccines.

“Both the updated [bivalent] COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccines are safe, effective and can help lower the risk of severe illness and death,” she said. “With multiple respiratory viruses continuing to circulate at elevated levels nationally, there’s no time like the present to get children vaccinated to protect against the potentially serious consequences of these diseases.”

Ms. Adams reported no relevant financial disclosures.