With this week’s start of COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and toddlers, some 20 million additional children are now eligible to take the shot, according to Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Speaking at a press briefing Thursday afternoon, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said that 4 million doses of the vaccine have been sent to 13,000 sites around the county. Parents can locate a vaccine for their children, ages 6 months up to 5, by going to the website vaccines.gov.
In Georgia, vaccine uptake for children older than 5 has been more tepid than elsewhere in the nation. Here are some numbers for comparison:
22.5% — The portion of Georgia children ages 5 to 11 who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as of June 16.
36.2% — Portion of children ages 5 to 11 nationwide who have received at least one dose
53.8% — Portion of Georgia children ages 12 to 17 who have received at least one dose
69.7% — Portion of children ages 12 to 17 nationwide who have received at least one dose
3,557: The number of Georgia children under 17 who have been hospitalized for COVD as of the week ending June 22. Number represents confirmed COVID cases that were hospitalized at the time the case was reported to DPH or when the case was interviewed.
Source: Vaccines: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations: Georgia Department of Public Health. The hospitalization number does not capture hospitalizations that occur after a confirmed case was reported and, as such, is likely an underestimation of actual hospitalizations.
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