- Many Americans are concerned about the risk the delta variant poses to the health of their unvaccinated children.
- Though cases in general are increasing in some areas, the percentage of hospitalizations is not increasing in children as a result of the delta variant, according to the most recent data available.
- However, experts say that, just like adults, children who have medical issues have a greater risk of complications.
- Vaccinations for young children are expected to become available this fall.
As the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread, many Americans are concerned about what this means for their unvaccinated children.
Children have, for the most part, been spared from serious complications of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. While more than 4 million kids have contracted SARS-CoV-2, the vast majority of cases have been mild, only rarely leading to hospitalization and death.
There have been recent reports of kids being admitted to the intensive care unit and more children being diagnosed with COVID-19.
But the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the hospitalization rate and risk of severe illness has not been increasing among children.
At the same time, infectious disease experts aren’t surprised to see cases increasing among young Americans as millions remain unvaccinated and are back to their regular activities, like camp and school.
The most effective way to protect children who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine is for more adults to get vaccinated.
“Children are spared the severe consequences of COVID-19 and less likely to spread it, and I think that remains true for the delta variant despite scary headlines,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Healthline.
Source: healthline