The fewer adults around are vaccinated, the more children can end up in hospital. And unvaccinated teenagers go to hospital 10 times more than protected peers. New data analysis for the months June-August with the Delta variant
I Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that in the US between the end of June and mid-August, with the arrival of the Delta variant, the rates of
hospitalization of children in the states where he was vaccinated fewer were almost 4 times more than measured in states where citizens have been most vaccinated. AND unvaccinated adolescents (12-17 years) had to resort to hospitalization 10 times more
compared to fully vaccinated peers.
Increase in hospitalizations for children by 10 times
The study, published on September 3, analyzed new Covid cases, visits to the emergency room with Covid diagnosis and related hospital admissions in the age groups 0-4 years, 5-11 years and 12-17 years, from August 1 from last year (2020) to August 27 of this year (2021). Delta became prevalent in the US from the end of June 2021. CDC researchers divided the states into four groups: those who vaccinated the most (highest), those who vaccinated a little less (second highest), those who vaccinated vaccinated much less (second lowest) and those who vaccinated less than all (lowest). In the United States, vaccination coverage between states is very different, with a lower average in the South (ranging from 68% in Vermont to 39% in Alabama).
With the arrival of the Delta cases of Covid (since June), visits to the emergency room and hospital admissions have generally increased in all age groups, therefore also in the 0-17 year range, but the increase measured in the 0-4 year range was 10 times.
Serious admissions of minors from 10% in 2020 to 25% in 2021
In particular, in selected hospitals, the percentage of patients aged 0 to 17 admitted to intensive care (ICU) went from 10% in August 2020 to 25% in June 2021 and was 20% and 18% respectively in July and August 2021.
The percentage of visits to the emergency room (age range 0-17) in August 2021 in the states with the lowest vaccination coverage was 3.4 times that measured in the states with the highest vaccination coverage. The rate (per 100,000 people) of hospitalizations in August 2021 in states with the lowest vaccination coverage was 3.7 times that registered in the states with the highest vaccination coverage.
Among the 63 patients aged 0-17 years admitted to the ICU in July and August 2021, 17 (27%) were 0-4 years old, 17 (27%) were 5-11 years old and 29 (46%) had more than 12 years. The increases in hospitalizations found in this study occurred for all pediatric age groups evaluated in the July-August 2021 period, with the majority of hospitalizations among patients aged ≤ 4 or 12-17 years.
Fewer vaccinated adults, more children in hospital
In addition to the evaluation of the lower risk of vaccinated children (10 times less), the consideration made by the CDC is that, in the non-immunized 0-11 year old group, the fewer adults around are vaccinated, the more children end up in hospital. It is therefore important, also in view of the reopening of the school and the greater attendance of closed spaces and public transport, a high rate of community vaccination, which, in coordination with test strategies and other prevention measures, becomes fundamental to protect also the pediatric populations who cannot be vaccinated from severe SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19 infection.
September 6, 2021 (change September 6, 2021 | 19:15)
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