Unvaccinated Kids Ages 5 to 11 Were Twice as Likely to End Up in the Hospital with COVID
Getty A child in the hospital
Unvaccinated kids aged 5 to 11 years old were more than twice as likely to end up in the hospital with COVID-19 during the omicron surge than vaccinated kids, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.
Since last November when Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in 5 to 11 year olds, the majority of hospitalizations — 9 in 10 — were in kids who were unvaccinated, the CDC reported.
Looking at 400 kids hospitalized across 10 states during the omicron surge, the CDC found that 87% were unvaccinated.
About a third of the hospitalized kids had no preexisting conditions before getting COVID-19. Around two in ten had to be admitted to the intensive care unit.
The study "reinforces the importance of increasing vaccination coverage" in the age group, the CDC says. As of April 19, just a small portion — 28.2% — of 5 to 11 year olds are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.
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The study also showed significant racial disparities in who is getting vaccinated, with Black children accounting for about a third of unvaccinated children and making up a third of all COVID-related hospitalizations in the age group.
"Black children accounted for the highest percentage of unvaccinated children in this analysis and represented one third of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations in this age group," the researchers said. "Increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage among children aged 5–11 years, with particular attention to racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19, is critical to reducing COVID-19–associated morbidity."
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Similar to adults, omicron appeared to create a milder illness in children than the delta variant. But because omicron was so contagious and few children were vaccinated against COVID-19, pediatric hospitalizations hit record numbers during the omicron surge, and in early January more than 4,000 kids were hospitalized in the U.S.
The best protection against COVID-19 remains vaccination, and the CDC reiterated that any parents who have not yet gotten their kids vaccinated should do so immediately.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments.
