The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hospitalization rate for unvaccinated children is soaring in the U.S.,
Many more kids sick in states with low vaccination numbers.
Pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 have soared over the summer as the highly contagious delta variant spread across the country, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From late June to mid-August, hospitalization rates in the United States for children and teenagers increased nearly fivefold, although they remain slightly below January’s peak, one new study found.
Big takeaway: Vaccinations work
During this summer’s wave, the hospitalization rate was 10 times as high in unvaccinated adolescents as in those who were vaccinated, researchers found.
Pediatric hospital admissions were nearly four times as high in states with the lowest vaccination rates as in those with the highest rates, according to a second study.
Still unclear: Does delta make kids sicker?
The studies, released Friday, do not provide clear answers about whether delta causes more severe disease in children than earlier versions of the virus. The rise in pediatric hospitalizations could also be because of the variant’s high infectiousness.
Indeed, one study concluded that the proportion of hospitalized children with severe disease had not changed in late June and July, when the delta variant became dominant in the United States.
The rates reported in the CDC studies are based on data from two national surveillance systems, including hospitals in 49 states and Washington, D.C.
Latest: Increase in cases since July
In one CDC study, researchers found that since July, the rate of new coronavirus cases increased for children 17 or younger, as did COVID-19-related emergency room visits and hospital admissions.
In a second study, researchers analyzed data from the COVIDNET surveillance network, which includes information on hospitalizations in 99 counties across 14 states. From March 1, 2020, to Aug. 14 there were 49.7 COVID19-related hospitalizations per 100,000 children and adolescents, the researchers found.
But the weekly rates have been climbing since July. During the week ending Aug. 14, there were 1.4 COVID-19-related hospitalizations for every 100,000 children, compared with 0.3 in late June and early July.