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Following an unexpected pediatric death, survivors undergo unique trauma. Medical examiners (MEs) evaluate most of these deaths. We evaluated the bereavement support available to survivors in the Chicagoland area following a pediatric death. We had two goals: to characterize the available bereavement support options and compare the locations (by zip code) of support groups with the locations (by zip code) in which pediatric ME cases occurred. We identified 48 organizations that provided bereavement support services at 74 locations in the summer and fall of 2020. Locations by zip codes in which the largest number of ME cases occurred did not have support groups. Locations in which more ME cases occurred generally had lower-income populations and a greater proportion of Black or Hispanic residents. Bereavement support following pediatric death is inadequate and unevenly distributed across the Chicagoland area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Infants younger than 6 months of age are at high risk for complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and are not eligible for vaccination. Transplacental transfer of .antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after maternal Covid-19 vaccination may confer protection against Covid-19 in infants. METHODS We used a case-control test-negative design to assess the effectiveness of maternal vaccination during pregnancy against hospitalization for Covid-19 among infants younger than 6 months of age. Between July 1 2021 and March 8,2022 we enrolled infants hospitalized for Covid-19 (case infants) and infants hospitalized without Covid-19 (control infants) at 30 hospitals in 22 states. We estimated vaccine effectiveness by comparing the odds of full maternal vaccination (two doses of mRNA vaccine) among case infants and control infants during circulation of the B.1.6172 (delta) variant (July 1 2021 to December 18 2021) and the B.1.1.259 (omicron) variant (December 19, 2021, to March 8, 2022). RESULTS A total of 537 case infants (181 of whom had been admitted to a hospital during the delta period and 356 during the omicron period; median age 2 months) and512 control infants were enrolled and included in the analyses; 16°/0 of the case infants and 29 of the control infants had been born to mothers who had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy. Among the case infants 113 (21%) received intensive care (64 [1296] received mechanical ventilation or vasoactive infusions). Two case infants died from Covid-19; neither infant's mother had been vaccinated during pregnancy. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination against hospitalization for Covid-19 among infants was 52% (95 confidence interval ICI] 33 to 65) overall 80% (95% CI 60 to 90) during the delta period and 38% (95% CI 8 to 58) during the omicron period. Effectiveness was 6996 (95% CI,50 to 80) when maternal vaccination occurred after 20 weeks of pregnancy and 38% (95% CI 3 to 60) during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Maternal vaccination with two doses of mRNA vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization for Covid-19 including for critical illness among infants young- er than 6 months of age. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]