Children's Hospital Colorado reported to have vaccinated 18,000 patients under anesthesia

A March 2026 publication by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicates that Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO) has administered vaccinations to more than 18,000 pediatric patients while they were under deep sedation or general anesthesia during surgical or other medical procedures.

An article by anesthesiologists Drs. Caroline A. Pasquariello and Kim M. Strupp notes that additional vaccinations are often administered during sedation, particularly for children with neurocognitive conditions who may be unable to tolerate vaccination otherwise. The practice has raised concerns regarding informed consent and the potential for vaccine-induced side effects, such as fever, to be misidentified as surgical or anesthetic complications.