POST PANDEMIC SHIFTS IN VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE MORTALITY AND INFLUENZA PNEUMONIA COMPLICATIONS IN 7-8 YEAR OLDS

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted routine pediatric immunization networks and altered population exposure to endemic respiratory pathogens. This study evaluates post-pandemic shifts in vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) mortality and the clinical severity of influenza and pneumonia complications among school-aged children (7-8 years old). Methods: Public health surveillance records and hospital registry datasets spanning the pre-pandemic (2017-2019), pandemic (2020-2022), and post-pandemic (2023-2025) eras were analyzed. Temporal variations in mortality rates were calculated alongside a specialized J-Point Matching Statistical Protocol to control for systemic healthcare utilization volatility. Clinical and laboratory parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and absolute neutrophil counts, were cross-referenced to evaluate disease severity. Results: Vaccine coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) dropped significantly during the pandemic, showing incomplete recovery by 2025. In the 7-8 year age bracket, post-pandemic crude mortality rates for pertussis and measles increased compared to pre-pandemic baselines. Concurrently, influenza-related complications occurred in 64.3% of hospitalized patients post-pandemic, up from 52.9% pre-pandemic (p = 0.02).