Successes and Lessons Learned in Responding to the Needs of Pediatricians, Children, and Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-066634
• Publication Date: 2024-03-15T04:01:58Z
• Authors: Mark Del Monte; Anne R. Edwards; Debra B. Waldron; Laura D. Aird; Cindy Kennedy Air...; Lisa Black Robinson; Dana Bright; Trisha M. Calabrese; Sean Diederich; Heather Fitzpatrick; Jennifer Frantz; Tamar Magarik Haro; Anne Hegland; Kristin Ingstrup; Melissa Jenco; Sunnah Kim; Susan Stevens Martin; Devin Mazziotti; Monique Phillips; Jamie Poslosky; Jeremiah Salmon; Mary Claire Walsh; Mary Lou White
• Keywords: Pandemic; Misinformation; Declaration; Isolation

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has presented tremendous challenges to the United States health care system, as well individual physicians, communities, and families. Throughout pandemic, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) striven elevate needs infants, children, adolescents, pediatricians who for this population. Historically, these communities have often been overlooked deprioritized in systems, deficits persisted into pandemic. To fill gap, AAP took on an essential role leading national response pediatrics. This article details includes perspectives multiple leaders involved advocacy with high-level staff officials at federal agencies executive branch. provided initial guidance that predated World Health Organization’s declaration a public emergency. then developed entirely new approaches meet unprecedented its practicing members families by providing timely, rigorous information endorsed pediatric experts. When vaccines were developed, strongly advised inclusion those younger than 18 years vaccine trials advocated equitable distribution plans. strategies combating misinformation. was forefront advocating safe return in-person schooling, recognizing social isolation contributing growing mental crisis among youth. In 2021, AAP, Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital Association declared emergency child adolescent health. addition, implemented educational training opportunities clinicians resources youth their After end emergency, continue use innovations efficiencies part response. successes response, alongside lessons learned, help define important model responding future pandemics emergencies ways support families, workforce.