COVID-19 remains a significant concern for children and adolescents with high-risk conditions. Infants and young children ages 6 to 23 months face a higher risk for hospitalization, and 58.9% of children hospitalized for COVID-19 had one or more underlying medical conditions, including asthma or reactive airway disease, neurologic disorders, obesity, chronic lung disease (excluding asthma), and feeding tube dependence. Among those hospitalized, 25.2% experienced severe disease requiring ICU care, which may include ventilatory support or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and 96.2% were not fully vaccinated.
This page brings together evidence-based resources to help pediatric-focused clinicians identify risk factors, guide prevention strategies and manage care with confidence. Grounded in current research and expert consensus, these tools are designed to support timely, informed decision-making for the children who need it most.
High-risk COVID Resources
As a health care provider, you are an indispensable ally when it comes to cutting through the noise and providing factual information on COVID-19 to your patient families — especially to those with chronic conditions. The videos below can help you answer your patient families questions and help them feel confident in making decisions about their child’s health.
For Providers
English
En español
For Patient Families
English
En español
NAPNAP has developed a new resource to guide providers as they discuss facts about the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 illness in high risk pediatric populations.
Free Provider Continuing Education
New for 2026: The NAPNAP expert-developed CE course COVID-19 Considerations in High-risk Pediatric Populations is available free for NAPNAP members and non-members and offers 0.5 CE Contact Hours.
Hear from Our Experts
NAPNAP experts Teresa Whited, DNP, RN, APRN, CPNP-PC and Stephania Galindo, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, recorded an audio news release about COVID-19 illness in high-risk populations. Click to listen.Â
English
En español
Other Experts
CVEEP hosted “Keeping Children with Chronic Conditions Protected through Immunization,” a webinar on April 28. Click to watch the recorded webinar.
The views and opinions expressed by speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of NAPNAP.
General Resources
Vaccine Resources and Data
- 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations (AAP)
- COVID Data Tracker: Vaccinations in the U.S. (CDC)
- COVID Data Tracker: Pediatric Seroprevalence (CDC)
- Children and COVID-19: State-level Data Report (AAP)
- COVID-19 Monitor Dashboard (KFF)
- KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: COVID-19 Vaccine Update (KFF)
Hospitalizations and Deaths by Age
- Trends in Cases and Deaths by Rece/Ethnicity. Age and Sex (CDC)
- COVID-NET Hospitalization Surveillance Network (CDC)
Additional Resources
- COVID-19 Risk Calculator (forhealth.org)
- COVID-19 Wastewater Monotoring (Biobot Analytics)
- Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) Dashboard (AAPM&R)
- Â How to find location for COVID-19 Vaccine
- Vaccination Finder (vaxassist)
- Find a Vaccine appointment easily (EasyVax)
Key Messages About COVID-19 Disease and COVID-19 Vaccines
Based on their experiences with patient families during the pandemic and most recent post-pandemic respiratory illness season, NAPNAP experts developed resources in English and Spanish for their fellow pediatric providers to easily convey important points about COVID-19 disease and vaccines so families can make informed decisions during the 2025-2026 fall and winter respiratory illness season. Click below to view and download our two-sided handouts in English and Spanish.
Tools to Answer Questions from Vaccine-hesitant Families
Our member experts have developed three videos to help you increase vaccination rates in your practice by helping you know how to answer common questions asked by your patient families.
Why Should a Young Child Get Vaccinated for COVID-19 if Most Children Don’t Get Severely Ill?
How Do You Respond When Asked About the Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccine?
How Do You Respond When Asked About the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines and its Development?
Vaccines
- Recommendations for COVID-19 Vaccines in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Policy Statement (AAP)
- Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Dosing Quick Reference Guide (AAP)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information & Implementation (AAP)
- Moderna mNEXSPIKE
- Moderna SPIKEVAX
- Pfizer COMIRNATY Â
- Novavax Nuvaxovid
- COVID-19 Vaccines (2025-2026 Formula) for Use in the U.S. Beginning Fall 2025 (FDA)
- Underlying Conditions and the Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19 (CDC)
- Vaccine Confidence & Addressing Concerns (immunize.org)
- Talking with Vaccine Hesitant Parents (AAP)Â
- Communicating with Families and Promoting Vaccine Confidence (AAP)
- Vaccine Misinformation Field Guide (Public Health Communication Collaborative)
- Vaccine Communication Resources for Health Care Providers (CDC)
- Having a Conversation About Vaccines (NHS UK)
- Building COVID-19 Confidence (National Academies Press)Â
Treatment, Clinical Considerations and Testing
For at-risk children, outpatient and inpatient therapeutic management
- Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children (AAP)Â
- Long-Haul COVID-19 in Children and Teens (AAP Healthy Children)
- Long COVID Basics (CDC)Â
- Official statement on COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5-11 years
- Official statement on partnering with families and schools to promote safe return to in-person education
- Study: Exhausted and Burned Out: COVID-19 Emerging Impacts Threaten the Health of the Pediatric Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Workforce
- Official statement calling for timely, efficient and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines for children
- Health Policy brief on Children’s Hospitals and Impact of COVID-19 – published in Journal of Pediatric Health Care
- Association update on Government Relief Funds for Medicaid and CHIP Providers
- Statement on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19 Infection
NAPNAP was awarded funding to support this website enhancement via CDC’s Mobilizing Pediatric Provider Networks: An Education and Training Initiative to Prevent and Control Infectious Disease Threats federal project.
