Luckily, we rarely see these kinds of little tombstones any longer. Thanks to pediatric vaccination, one of the greatest public health successes of the 20th century, we have all but eliminated diphtheria — along with polio, measles, Haemophilus influenzae type b and more — from the United States.
It is no longer common for American kids to experience death or disability from infections. Instead, injuries (particularly firearm injuries) are typically the top causes of death among kids in the US.
The new guidelines put out by the Florida surgeon general on Tuesday, that “healthy children from ages 5 to 17 may not benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccine” therefore flummoxes those of us in the public health and medical communities.
Indeed, in 2021, Covid was among the top 10 causes of death for American children and young adults every month (except June, for 5 to 14-year-olds, when it dropped to the 11th spot but remained in the top 10 for adolescents). As of this month, almost 40,000 Covid-19 associated hospitalizations were registered in 25 states (data is not available from the other states). We are just beginning to learn about the nature and frequency of the long-term consequences of Covid among children.
This is why the development, testing and eventual distribution of a pediatric vaccine against Covid-19 — with the goal of preventing severe illness, long-term symptoms and deaths — was so welcomed by parents, physicians and public health professionals alike. Here was a chance to offer our kids a way back toward normal. And this illustrates why Florida’s guidance is so misguided.
Let me be clear about the facts. The Covid-19 vaccine currently under emergency use authorization in the US for kids 5 and up — a two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech series — is effective at preventing the worst outcomes: severe illness, hospitalization and death.
Study after study shows that the kids who get hospitalized for Covid-19 are, by and large, those who are…
Source : cnn
