Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?

FDA Expands EmergencyUse for Pfizer’s COVID-19Vaccine for Children.Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 hasreceived emergency use authorization in the United States. .An analysis of 1,005 participants in the age group found the vaccine to be 100 percent effective at preventing COVID-19. .Pfizer’s vaccine is still the only one to beapproved so far for children aged 16 to 18. .According to FDA actingcommissioner Janet Woodcock,adolescents will receive the same dosage and regimen as adults. .This will allow for vaccine distribution sitesto simply “extend down to the younger age group” and provide access to millions of adolescents.Today's action allows for ayounger population to beprotected from COVID-19,bringing us closer to returningto a sense of normalcy and toending the pandemic, Janet Woodcock, via CBS News

Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?

No, experts say there's no strong evidence yet that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it's more contagious.

Delta's ability to spread more easily makes it more of a risk to children and underscores the need for masks in schools and vaccinations for those who are old enough, said Dr. Juan Dumois, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Weekly infection rates among U.S. children earlier this month topped 250,000, surpassing the wintertime peak, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association. Since the pandemic began, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19.

The delta variant has been identified in at least 180 countries, according to the World Health Organization. In many of them, the spike in infections has also meant an increase in hospitalizations in young children and teens.

In the U.S., the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 was less than 2 per 100,000 children in late August and early September — similar to the peak last winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the portion of kids hospitalized with severe disease hasn’t changed significantly.

The sheer numbers can make it seem like children are getting sicker with the delta variant, but experts say that does not appear to be the case. Most infected kids have mild infections or no symptoms and do not need to be hospitalized.

COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide protection against delta. Among children 12 and older — who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations — the weekly hospitalization rate in July was 10 times higher for the unvaccinated than those who have had the shots, CDC data show.