Paediatric COVID-19
Task force

In March 2020, when the first cases of COVID-19 were observed in Belgium and alarming information was coming in from Italy and China, some paediatric infectious disease specialists and presidents of paediatric associations decided to meet virtually every week to get an overview of the challenges of this new epidemic and to provide a coordinated response across Belgium. These weekly ZOOM meetings made it possible for Belgian paediatrics to speak with one voice almost throughout this epidemic with clear messages to the authorities and the population.

The main objective of this Task Force was to bring together everyone concerned with children to defend in a coordinated way the interests of children: their right to education, to play, to health both physical and mental, to protection.

There was always internal consultation before advice was given to policy makers, or before the press was consulted. The aim was to work as much as possible on the basis of evidence and scientific studies. Newsletters were published regularly.

Coordinated by Tyl Jonckheer

The weekly meetings were attended over time by some 40 different people representing the following associations or institutions:

• Heads of Department of Paediatrics of the different Belgian Universities
• Paediatric infectiologists of all Belgian Universities and from Montreal
• Presidents or representatives of various paediatric associations ( BMS/SBP, VVK, GBPF, VBS/GBS, EAP)
• Child psychiatrists
• Child psychologists
• Paediatric nurses
• Child and Family, Growing up
• ONE
• CLB
• PSE
• Sciensano
• GEMS
• Cabinet of the Flemish Minister of Education
• Representatives of Walloon and Flemish General Practitioners ( Domus Medica)
• Flemish Scientific Association for Youth Health Care
• Biostatisticians
• When necessary, national COVID-19 experts

• We have succeeded in almost always speaking from one voice
• Thanks in part to this Task Force, Belgium is one of the only countries where children were able to attend school as much as they did during the pandemic
• Summer camps and summer activities for children were able to take place in both the summer of 2020 and that of 2021
• Newsletters were published at regular intervals
• Many members of the Task Force were regularly consulted by various cabinets: both cabinets of education and of youth in Flanders, French-speaking and German-speaking communities, cabinet of the prime minister
• Participation in social consultations Cabinet Ben Weyts
• Participation in meetings of the GEMS and the RAG by members of the PTF
• Member of various Task Forces ( vaccination, testing policy)
• Providing paediatric content for the Sciensano site
• After internal consultation, many explanatory interviews were given for radio, TV and written press. We also published open letters and opinion pieces at crucial moments
• The importance of the wellbeing of children was defended as equal to the epidemiological interest, thanks to the intensive efforts of the child psychiatrists
• Treatment protocols were written, guidelines were issued, scientific studies were conducted, webinars were held for professionals, for schools, for the general population
• In moments of crisis, a small core group of the PTF met several times with national experts and various ministers
• Through the participation of representatives of general practitioners, a respectful and constructive relationship between general practitioners and paediatricians has been established
• The activities of the PTF have also given visibility to paediatrics and the paediatricians in Belgium
• The efforts of the PTF have also received recognition: audience with the Queen, special prize of the Lobby Award 2020, nomination for the KARVA prize