The SPRINT-KIDS Project
Surveillance Program for the Rapid IdeNtification and TracKing of Infectious Diseases in kidS
The University of Calgary will lead one of the most comprehensive infectious disease surveillance systems for children in Canadian history. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) selected the Surveillance Program for the Rapid IdeNtification and TracKing of Infectious Diseases in kidS, or “SPRINT-KIDS” to lead this ambitious initiative.
The SPRINT-KIDS surveillance network tracks real-time trends in respiratory viruses among children seeking hospital care across the country. It is designed to rapidly identify changes in the epidemiology of common respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) providing timely information to clinicians, public health leaders, and the public. The monitoring system incorporates detailed vaccination histories, medical interventions and outcome data to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the burden of these viruses and evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing adverse outcomes.
PHAC has selected SPRINT-KIDS to perform these activities, positioning Canada as a leader in pediatric respiratory virus surveillance. The project has three areas of focus: monitoring vaccine-related adverse events, evaluating vaccine effectiveness, and tracking the epidemiology of COVID, influenza, and RSV.
What sets SPRINT-KIDS apart is its inclusion of detailed data on children seeking emergency department care due to symptoms possibly due to infection by one of these viruses. Leveraging the infrastructure of the PERC and PIRN networks, and established collaborations with pediatric infectious disease experts, hospital-based pediatricians, medical microbiologists and vaccine experts, SPRINT-KIDS is focused on identifying pathogen-level trends and assessing vaccine effectiveness, in real-time, with the goal of improving the health of Canada's children.
FAQs
The SPRINT-KIDS project will provide health care providers with real-time data on vaccine effectiveness against circulating viral strains as well as insights into pathogens causing children to become sick in their communities and across the country. This information will be shared with the public along with data on vaccine effectiveness to inform public health prevention strategies.
The SPRINT-KIDS network will identify pockets of high virus activity and will track the movement of viruses across the country, providing communities with information about the timing and burden of seasonal viruses. This real-time tracking enables better preparedness and response at the local and national levels. The network’s flexibility allows it to adapt to emerging pathogens and evaluate new therapies, such as the recently introduced RSV vaccine.
This project will help families by providing them with real-time, local, pediatric specific data on vaccine effectiveness and up-to-date information on which viruses are circulating in their communities and across the country. This knowledge can help families make informed choices regarding vaccination while also optimizing the care provided by healthcare providers.
The SPRINT-KIDS surveillance project marks a significant advance in pediatric public health respiratory virus monitoring in Canada. Unlike previous surveillance systems, SPRINT-KIDS expands surveillance to include COVID-19 and RSV in addition to influenza while also enabling us to expand our understanding of other viruses and pathogens such as mycoplasma. Importantly, SPRINT-KIDS includes data from emergency department visits, which account for the majority of cases, as 90% of children seeking emergency care are discharged home. This ensures a more comprehensive picture of the viruses circulating among children in the community and a better understanding of the risk of severe disease. Additionally, SPRINT-KIDS provides real-time data on vaccine effectiveness in the pediatric population, to help inform public health recommendations and caregiver decision making. Lastly, the network will enhance monitoring for adverse events potentially associated with vaccination through an active surveillance system that monitors for such events in emergency departments and inpatient units, dramatically improving the ability to detect potential safety concerns related to pediatric vaccine administration.
