Editor’s note:For the latest news on COVID-19, visit http://bit.ly/AAPNewsCOVID19.
Children are making up a growing share of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., accounting for nearly 21% last week.
About 88,500 new pediatric COVID-19 cases were reported between April 8-15, according to the latest weekly report from the AAP and Children’s Hospital Association. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 3.63 million children have tested positive, making up about 13.6% of all cases.
At least 297 children have died of COVID-19, about 0.06% of all deaths. About 0.01% of children diagnosed with COVID-19 have died. At least 14,849 children have been hospitalized, about 2% of all hospitalizations. Roughly 0.8% of children with COVID-19 have been hospitalized.
Children under 16 years are not eligible to be vaccinated. However, Pfizer and BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for their vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds. The companies recently announced adolescent trials have shown efficacy of 100% with no significant safety concerns. Several manufacturers also are conducting trials down to age 6 months.
As pediatricians wait for these manufacturers to complete trials, they can take several steps to prepare for vaccinating children.
- Enroll to administer vaccine in their state. This is separate from enrollment in the Vaccines for Children program.
- Catch up patients on other vaccines they may have missed. COVID-19 vaccines cannot be administered within 14 days of other vaccines.
- Learn about providing COVID-19 vaccines for adults, including enrolling in Medicare.
- Promote vaccine confidence using resources from the AAP and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Pediatricians also can keep up with emerging issues related to the pandemic through the AAP’s virtual town hall series. The next session will be held at 7 p.m. CST April 22. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QOUW3MIiRdiCuL_gAZq54w.
