27% of US infections are kids; fewer getting shots

Children make up 22% of the U.S. population but account for 27% of coronavirus cases nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported.

The organization said the number of children receiving their first COVID-19 vaccines this week was the lowest since vaccines became available and has been dropping for almost two months.

Children make up less than 1% of COVID-19 deaths, the academy said Monday, but there isn’t much data about long-term effects of the coronavirus on children. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 5.9 million children have tested positive for the virus, and fewer than half of eligible children have been fully inoculated.

Children ages 5 to 11 are not yet approved to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but action by the Food and Drug Administration has suggested that may change soon. The FDA has scheduled a meeting of the independent committee that advises the administration on vaccine and drug approvals for the end of October.

Pfizer-BioNTech says data shows its vaccine is safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11 and recommended one-third the dose used for those 12 and older. If the FDA and a second federal advisory committee authorize vaccines for children, inoculations could begin before Halloween.

Other top headlines

• The CDC says unvaccinated Americans should delay planned trips until they’ve had their shots.

• Australia-based Ellume is recalling hundreds of thousands of coronavirus home tests after discovering some deliver higher rates of false positives. The kits are sold at major retailers such as Walmart, CVS, Target and Amazon.

• New York City’s vaccination mandate for school staff survived a court challenge. Meanwhile, hospitals report few disruptions to services because of vaccine requirements for workers.

• Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s programs to reward school districts for not imposing mandates violate federal rules, and Treasury officials warn they may claw back stimulus dollars.