COVID-19 Booster Shots for Children
According to an analysis published by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health, thousands of pediatric hospital stays and millions of missed school days could be prevented if children receive the updated COVID-19 booster shot. The analysis suggests that vaccinating children at the same speed as they were vaccinated against the flu could avert 50% to 60% of at least 38,000 pediatric hospital stays, including around 9,000 stays in intensive care units.
Preventing Hospital Stays
If COVID-19 booster coverage reaches 80% by the end of the year in children of school age, more than 50,000 hospital stays could be averted. This could help reduce the strain on pediatric hospitals, which have been particularly full in recent weeks due to the early onset of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 season. Less than 1 out of 4 pediatric hospital beds is available nationwide, including less than 10% of beds in seven states.
Impact on the Healthcare System
The overwhelmed healthcare system means that some families may not be able to get their child the care they need for a medical emergency. The situation has been described as a "crisis" by Dr. Moira Szilagyi, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The COVID-19 community level is currently low, with less than 5% of the US population living in an area with a high COVID-19 community level. However, last week, more than 2,400 children with COVID-19 were hospitalized, three times higher than the previous week.
Benefits of Higher Vaccination Rates
Higher vaccination rates could help keep children in school, which is important for their mental health and academic achievements. Assuming a five-day isolation period for children with a minor illness and 10 days for those who are hospitalized or seriously ill, vaccinating children against COVID-19 and flu could prevent more than 22 million school absences. This could have a significant impact on the overall well-being of children and reduce the strain on the healthcare system.
Current Vaccination Rates
However, the current vaccination rates are quite low, with less than 5% of children having received their updated booster shot. In order to reach 50% by the end of the year, the vaccination rate would need to be at least ten times faster than in November. COVID-19 vaccination rates in children have been lagging behind those of adults, with only 32% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 and 61% of 12 to 17-year-olds fully vaccinated, compared to 78% of adults.
Conclusion
Accelerated vaccination campaigns that achieve high coverage in all age groups can prevent a possible impending surge in COVID-19 cases, protect children both directly and indirectly, and offer them additional stability in terms of school attendance and other social engagement. The cost of inactivity could be steep, with millions of more school days lost and thousands of avoidable hospital stays for children.
