The ‘2015 Paediatric Virology
proposal’ (1), which was presented
during the ‘1st workshop on Paediatric Virology’ on October, 2015,
resulted in a very interesting and constructive debate on the
potential role of the scientific field of neonatal and paediatric
viral infections as a new paediatric subspecialty candidate. To
date, the proposal, which described in detail the new subspecialty
areas, including both clinical and laboratory sections, has
attracted the interest of several world leading experts (2–12), who
have evaluated it in detail and highlighted the value of Paediatric
Virology subspecialists in the future (Table I). The value of the scientific field
of Paediatric Virology is also examined in the recent third
supplement issue of the Experimental and Therapeutic
Medicine (13–19), which is dedicated to Paediatric
Virology and is edited in the context of the ‘5th workshop on
Paediatric Virology’, which will be held in Sparta, Greece on
October 12, 2019.
 | Table I.Pros and cons of the ‘2015 Paediatric
Virology proposal’, which presented Paediatric Virology as a new
separate paediatric subspecialty candidate. |
Table I.
Pros and cons of the ‘2015 Paediatric
Virology proposal’, which presented Paediatric Virology as a new
separate paediatric subspecialty candidate.
| Pros |
|---|
| New and
old viruses as causative agents of emerging epidemics |
| New
vaccines under investigation |
| New
anti-viral agents in the paediatric clinical practice |
|
Complexity of the special
group of patients |
| New
technology methods in neonatal and paediatric care |
| Increased
clinical, research and educational needs |
|
| Cons |
|
|
Subspecialty or special
interest? |
| Jobs
limitations |
| Clinical
or basic sciences research orientation? |
|
Subspecialty of Paediatrics or
Microbiology or Internal Medicine? |
|
Subspecialisation educational
problems of the past |
However, specific points of scepticism have been
raised (2). Amongst these, two have
been considered to be as the most critical. The first one is the
limited number of paediatric virologists required in each country.
This can be addressed by Paediatric Virology being kept as a
special interest (4) and not
scheduled as a separate paediatric subspecialty (5). The Paediatric Virology subspecialty
training should be offered by international centres of excellence,
which would offer trainees the opportunity to be exposed to the
highest case mix, while supervised by internationally renowned
educationalists and researchers. A balance between
subspecialisation and general knowledge should always be sustained
(7).
The second issue is the scientific background of
paediatric virologists; should their medical core specialization be
Microbiology, Internal Medicine or Paediatrics? Fig. 1 presents these different pathways.
The supporters of the first two options are based on the current
practice, where Microbiology or Internal Medicine consultants
develop a special interest in Virology. We suggest that this
subspecialisation should be included in Paediatrics (20). Currently, the paediatric orientated
clinical training in Paediatric Virology can be undertaken by
entering subspecialty training in paediatric infectious diseases
(PID) or being a general paediatrician and undertaking a special
interest (SPIN) module in infectious diseases or a higher degree,
e.g., Master of Sciences (MSc), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master
of Research (MRes), or a Postgraduate Diploma in PID (3,4,15). In the future, to optimize care for
children requires state-of-the-art educated neonatologists and
paediatricians on viral infections and paediatric virologists, who
will be skilled in highly demanded diagnostic and therapeutic
decisions for neonates and children with possible viral infections
(20). We believe that the
implementation of the ‘2015 Paediatric Virology proposal’ into
medical education and clinical practice will be a step forward in
this direction.
Acknowledgements
This article is published in the third supplement
issue of the Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, which is
dedicated to Paediatric Virology. This edition is performed in the
context of the ‘5th workshop on Paediatric Virology’ (Sparta,
Greece, October 12, 2019) organized by the Paediatric Virology
Study Group (PVSG) and supported by the Department of Clinical
Virology of the University of Crete School of Medicine and the
First Department of Paediatrics of the University of Athens School
of Medicine. We would like to thank all the members of the PVSG for
their valuable comments and corrections.
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