Kids Can ’t Get COVID-19 Vaccines Yet. But We Do Have Ways to Protect Them

The COVID-19 pandemic is now defined by its impact on two groups of people: the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Lest we forget, all children under 12 years of age fall into the latter category. As pediatric pulmonologists, we care for children with chronic respiratory conditions whose lives are threatened by COVID-19, as well as previously healthy children who have suffered from COVID-19 infections. As of the most recent data, some 4.3 million children have tested positive for COVID-19. This number is likely an underestimate, as some children can become infected but show no or only milder symptoms and may not get tested. But, despite some claims to the contrary, not all children cope so well with infection. In the U.S., well over 17,000 children have been hospitalized with COVID-19, thousands have developed a severe, life-threatening post-COVID-19 illness that impacts the heart, and hundreds have died from this now vaccine-preventable disease. As the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant triggers a steep incline in COVID-19 infections across the U.S., pediatric cases, too, are rising dramatically. We must protect our children. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Vaccinations save lives, but our children cannot get them The COVID-19 vaccines have dramatically changed the course of disease for people who are fully vaccinated. All of the authorized vaccines were, indeed, designed to prevent severe COVID-19 disease—and thus reduce hospitalizations. At this...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news