CNN
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High COVID-19 vaccination rates among children in the US can prevent thousands of pediatric hospitalizations and millions of lessons. analysis It was issued Tuesday by the Federal Fund and Yale School of Public Health.
50% to 60% coverage if school-age children are vaccinated with Covid-19 booster shots updated at the same rate as they were vaccinated against the flu last season – at least 38,000 children You can avoid hospitalization. Intensive care unit until March. Additionally, if Covid-19 booster coverage reaches 80% among school-age children by the end of the year, more than 50,000 hospitalizations could be avoided.
Preventing Covid-19 hospitalizations will ease tensions in children’s hospitals, which have been particularly full for the past few weeks, as respiratory virus seasons including influenza, RSV and Covid-19 clean the country faster than usual. It may be useful. Less than one in four children’s hospital beds are available nationwide. This includes less than 10% of beds in the seven states. data From the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“The overwhelming healthcare system means that some families may not be able to get the care their children need in a medical emergency,” says Moira Shiragi, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Doctor, I wrote it The CNN Opinion article calls the situation a “crisis.”
Covid-19 transmission is much lower than earlier this year. Less than 5% of the US population live in counties where the level of Covid-19 is considered to be high, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, more than 2,400 children were admitted to hospital last week due to Covid-19. data show.
New analysis also found that high vaccination rates can help keep children in schools. Mental health and Academic achievements.
Assuming a 5-day quarantine period for mildly ill children and a 10-day quarantine period for hospitalized or severely ill people, bringing up Covid-19 booster uptake along a child’s flu shot would be 22 million It prevents school absenteeism for more than days.
However, the scenario presented in the new analysis is very unrealistic. So far, less than 5% of school-age children have updated booster shots, according to the CDC data.
A record number of updated Covid-19 boosters will be managed in the first week of November, with US officials saying people will be able to offer the biggest protection around Thanksgiving, with people saying They say they plan to push this week to get back on it, but overall the intake remains low. To get 50% coverage by the end of the year, the vaccination pace must be at least 10 times faster than in November.
And Covid-19 vaccination rates among children have long been behind adults. Just 32% of children aged 5 to 11, and 61% of children aged 12 to 17, compete for the first series of Covid-19 vaccinations, compared to 78% of adults.
“Accelerating vaccination campaigns that achieve high coverage at all ages will prevent the imminent surge in Covid-19, protect children directly and indirectly, and in terms of school attendance and other social engagement. It may provide stability,” the study author wrote. “The cost of omission can be sudden. School absenteeism and preventable hospitalizations for thousands of days of children.”
For this analysis, researchers did not consider the possibility of a new immune-promoting coronavirus variant, but described both naturally acquired immunity and vaccine-induced immunity that declines over time. .
