01/08/2022

Experts Worry About Rising Hospitalizations in Kids Too Young for COVID Shots

One of the leading ways to protect them is to vaccinate everyone else

Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 soared in recent weeks to the highest levels since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine.

The worrisome trend in children too young to be vaccinated underscores the need for older kids and adults to get their shots to protect those around them, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Since mid-December, with the highly contagious omicron variant spreading furiously around the country, the hospitalization rate in these youngest kids has surged to more than 4 in 100,000 children, up from 2.5 per 100,000. The rate among children ages 5 to 17 is about 1 per 100,000, according to the CDC data, which is drawn from over 250 hospitals in 14 states.

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