Covid: Unvaccinated kids bore force of Omicron wave, CDC report states
WASHINGTON: Nearly 90% of US kids hospitalized for Covid throughout the Omicron wave this winter season were unvaccinated, according to a federal government research study.
Omicron caused a record-breaking number of pediatric hospitalizations from December to February, and nationwide information on numerous kids aged 5 to 11 highlight the significance of vaccinating them, the Centers for Illness Control and Prevention said in the report.
“Increasing vaccination protection amongst kids, especially amongst racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected by Covid-19, is critical to avoiding Covid-19-associated hospitalization and severe outcomes,” the CDC said.
Though Omicron has actually generally been considered milder than previous versions, peak intensive care system admission rates for children were 1.7 times as high throughout January, when Omicron reigned, than when Delta peaked in October. The high rates were likely due to Omicron’s improved spread and the sheer variety of general infections it triggered, the authors stated.
Practically 20% of children hospitalized during the Omicron wave wound up in extensive care systems. The risk of extreme disease was significantly higher for those with diabetes or weight problems, and just a 3rd of hospitalized children had no hidden conditions, the report found.
Unlike immune-impaired grownups, immunocompromised kids were not discovered to be at higher danger of extreme Covid. The finding follows influenza-associated hospitalizations and might be due to a lower threshold for health center admission in kids with asthma or other medical conditions, the authors stated.
Vaccine eligibility was expanded to include kids aged 5 to 11 in November, just months before the Omicron variation caused a huge surge in cases. But information from last month show almost a third of these children have gotten 2 doses.
Black children represented the biggest share of the unvaccinated and more than a 3rd of the hospitalizations during the research study duration. They were most likely to develop major signs than white or Hispanic children, according to the report.
“Implementing methods that result in fair receipt of Covid-19 vaccine among children is a public health priority,” the report stated.
Booster shots are still not licensed for kids ages 5 to 11, but partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have stated a third dosage of their vaccine increased antibodies against the Omicron strain by 36-fold in this age. The business plan to soon file with regulators for permission of the booster shot.
Released at Wed, 20 Apr 2022 03:07:42 +0000