Genomics & COVID Vaccination Adverse Events in Pediatrics

Objectives: To establish a cohort specifically of pediatric patients and identify if genetic variation contributes to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced adverse events. This information can then be used to help vaccine-hesitant parents understand the risk of these specific adverse events in their children. 

Summary: As vaccination against COVID-19 has begun, adverse events to the vaccine such as anaphylaxis, rhabdomyolysis and other life-threatening events have been reported. Rigorous and objective vaccine safety science is critical for vaccine confidence as well as reducing adverse reactions when possible. 

Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience different clinical symptoms, suggesting that they likely have different mechanisms regulating the interaction between the immune system and symptoms of coronavirus. Previous vaccine efficacy and safety studies have demonstrated that there is a genetic component to anaphylaxis adverse events. Many candidate genes, particularly genetic regulators of the immune system and inflammation, have been investigated. 

The Glowing Hearts campaign will support the Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS), an existing national surveillance network, to conduct case-control studies using genomic data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced adverse events over the two-year study period.