Pediatric Pneumonia Trends Plateau in 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published the latest information on pediatric pneumonia.

Released on December 1, 2023, this data shows the weekly percent of emergency department visits diagnosed with pneumonia is mainly consistent with previous years for children aged 0 to 4 years, with slight increases for those aged 5 to 17 years.

The U.S. National Syndromic Surveillance Program data as of November 25, 2023, indicated that the weekly percent of emergency department visits with diagnosed pneumonia was as follows:

1.7% for children aged 0–1 years,

2.4% for children aged 2–4 years, and

1.5% for children aged 5–17 years.

According to the CDC, these trends are consistent with pre-pandemic years and are likely caused by viruses and bacteria expected to be seen during the winter respiratory illness season.

Separately, increases in Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections were reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The ECDC reported on December 2, 2023, that the recent increases in observed detections may reflect the typical periodic recurrence of M. pneumoniae in the community and is potentially exacerbated by three years of minimal transmission and detection of M. pneumoniae.

The ECDC's current assessment is that country-level comparisons should be done cautiously as M. pneumoniae epidemics occur cyclically in Europe every one to three years.

Various factors contribute to this cyclical pattern, such as the decline of population immunity over time or the introduction of new strains into the population.

According to the CDC, there are many ways to protect yourself from serious illness during the respiratory season, including effective immunizations that protect against viral and bacterial diseases that can lead to pneumonia.

In the U.S., various vaccines, including the annual flu shot, help prevent pneumonia in children and are available at clinics and pharmacies as of December 5, 2023.