The CDC released figures late Thursday from its COVIDNET hospital surveillance showing that COVID-19 hospitalization rates were lower among vaccinated Americans than they were among the unvaccinated.
The smallest gaps were found among children aged 5-17 years. Hospitalization rates in adults who were not vaccinated were six times higher than those who were vaccinated. Unvaccinated 5- to-11-year-olds had three times the rate of hospitalizations, and unvaccinated 12–17-year-olds had two times as many.
The CDC also published a new study Friday within its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It estimated that two shots Pfizer vaccine were 31% effective against Omicron variant infection in children ages 5-11.
The vaccine effectiveness against Omicron among adolescents aged 12-15 years was nearly twice that of the previous study, at 59%. However, the authors cautioned that there is “wide and overlapping” statistical uncertainty surrounding the figures, suggesting that they might not be significantly different.
Beginning in July 2021, researchers regularly tested children who were enrolled in four states: Arizona, Florida Texas, Texas, and Utah. The study showed that vaccine effectiveness was 87% among adolescents during the period of dominance for the Delta variant.
“Other pediatric vaccine efficacy studies used lab testing data or records of children’s health. They generally only captured cases in which a child was experiencing symptoms and had received medical attention. Studies like ours, which use home rapid testing more often, are necessary to provide more information about vaccine effectiveness and rates of infection,” Lauren Olsho, principal investigator, stated in a release by Abt Associates. She was also the co-author of the study.
The average time that vaccinated children were sickened by COVID was half a day less than the non-vaccinated. The study authors noted, however, that both groups had different behavior. Vaccinated children were more likely than unvaccinated to wear face masks and report missing more school days when they are sick.
Numerous studies have shown that vaccine effectiveness has declined over the Omicron period for people who haven’t received a booster shot , including children.
Pfizer and BioNTech said that they expect to have data from their trials by the end of next month which could be used to allow regulators to approve a third child dose.
The CDC stated that it recommends COVID-19 vaccinations as a “safe and crucial tool to protect children, teens and their families regardless of their current health status.”
Children aged 5-17 years are less likely than adults to be admitted with COVID-19. However, hundreds have died of the disease. Many more have suffered severe complications from COVID-19.
According to the CDC , parents may be able space out their children’s first two shots for as long as eight weeks. This is to increase vaccine effectiveness and decrease the risk of rare side effects such as heart disease.
A separate study by CDC scientists was released Friday. It found that hospitalization rates among children during COVID-19 were higher than in previous flu seasons. This is even before the record Omicron wave, which drove a record number of child hospitalizations.
The Biden administration has not been able to convince many parents to vacate their youngest eligible children.
Only 26.6% of children aged 5-11 years have been fully vaccinated.
An ongoing CDC survey showed that 31% of parents said they would not get their child vaccinated by the end of January.
“Data shows that vaccines are one of most effective ways of keeping people safe from COVID-19, including children,” Dr. Nirav Shah of Maine, the top health official and president of Association of State and Territorial Health Officials , said last week.
Shah made the statement after Florida’s surgeon General caused controversy and moved to discourage from getting their children vaccinated for COVID-19.
Shah stated, “Now is the right time to help more people and communities get vaccinated.”
