Unvaccinated children are twice as likely to be seriously ill if infected with Omicron.

Vaccine reduces hospitalization rates in children infected with Omicron variant

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that about one-third of hospitalized children between the ages of 5 and 11 had no underlying medical conditions and one-fifth of them had to be treated in the intensive care unit.

The study included about 400 children, aged 5 to 11, who were hospitalized in 14 US states during the surge in infections.Omicron variantthis past winter. These hospitals provide health care to about 10% of the entire US population.

According to the US CDC, among children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 before or during hospitalization, three-quarters were hospitalized primarily for COVID-19 rather than for other medical conditions.

Implementing the plan of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, today (April 22), 21 districts and cities in the province simultaneously vaccinated children from 5 to 11 years old against Covid-19. Photo courtesy of Thanh Chung

The study found that the vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 in children, although they were less effective against the Omicron variant.

Research also suggests that racial disparities in vaccination may put black children at greater risk of severe COVID-19. Specifically, about a third of unvaccinated children are black, and black children account for about a third of hospitalizations.

What do experts say about COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 - under 12?

Only seven states and Washington, DC, report racial data on children ages 5 to 12 who are vaccinated. A recent study found that in most of these states, black children are vaccinated at lower rates than white children. And across all ages, black Americans are less likely to be vaccinated than white Americans.

"Increasing vaccination rates among children, especially among underserved racial and ethnic minorities, is critical to preventing hospitalization and severe illness associated with COVID-19," the CDC team said.

The vaccine to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11 against Covid-19 this time is the Moderna vaccine with a dose of 0.25ml. Previously, the Nghe An Center for Disease Control distributed 34,000 doses to localities. Photo courtesy of Thanh Chung

The CDC says that, like in adults, the Omicron variant appears to cause less severe illness in children than the Delta variant. However, Omicron is highly contagious and has infected many children, leading to higher rates of hospitalization in children during the Omicron variant outbreak.

Only about a third of American children ages 5 to 12 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the lowest rate among other age groups, experts say. And there has been a significant slowdown in the pace of vaccinations among children in this age group in recent weeks.