Hospitalizations for COVID-19 among children under the age of five in the United States have increased dramatically in recent weeks, reaching their highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, according to official statistics released on Friday.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), expressed concern about the worrying trend among children who are too young to receive the vaccine and stressed the importance of adults and older children getting vaccinated in order to provide them with a safe environment.

Since early December, as the highly contagious omicron form spread fast throughout the country, the hospitalization rate for children under the age of five has risen to more than four per 100,000. According to CDC data, this compared to a previous figure of roughly one in 10,000 children aged 5 to 17.

In a statement, Walensky stated that, while children continue to have the lowest hospitalization rate of any age group, pediatric hospitalizations are at their highest rate compared to any earlier time in the pandemic.

During a press conference, she explained that the figures include both COVID-19-infected infants and those who were hospitalized for other reasons and were discovered to have the virus.

She pointed out that only about half of children aged 12 to 18 had received all of their vaccines and between 5 to 11 just 16%.

As of Tuesday, the average daily number of adolescents and teenagers hospitalized for COVID-19 was 766, more than double the number registered just two weeks ago.

During a briefing at the White House this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s senior infectious disease specialist, highlighted that many of the children hospitalized with COVID-19 have additional health problems that make them more vulnerable to complications. Obesity, diabetes, and lung illness are examples of such conditions.

One of the best ways to safeguard young children, according to Fauci and Walensky, is for everyone else to be vaccinated.

The evidence suggests that booster doses provide the most effective protection against omicron, and the agency recommended them this week for children 12 and up.

Only 34% of those over the age of 65 who are already eligible for the additional dose have received it.

Image Credit: Getty

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