Myth or Fact?

Children don’t need the vaccine because their risk is low.

Myth

Fact is – While children and adolescents typically have a lower risk than adults of becoming severely ill or hospitalized from COVID-19, children can still get seriously ill, be hospitalized, and even die from COVID. The virus is especially dangerous for children with underlying health conditions, but it can also pose a threat to otherwise perfectly healthy children.

 

 

Resources

You can refer to these sources about the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and the potential for infections:

  • During the winter 2021-2022 omicron surge, infants and children under age 5 were hospitalized with the virus at approximately five times the rate they were during the delta surge in the fall of 2021. (CDC)
  • It is impossible to predict who will develop severe illness from COVID-19, and it absolutely can occur in typically healthy children. While the risk is higher for those with underlying health conditions, data shows that 64% of hospitalizations in children under age 5 occur in those without comorbidities. (CDC)
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data tracker shows that in April 2022, unvaccinated people age 5 and older were six times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people vaccinated with a primary series. In addition, unvaccinated people were 42 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people vaccinated with a primary series and two or more booster doses.

 

 

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As always, if you have questions about COVID-19 or the vaccines, you can always ask your health care provider.

Stats on COVID-19

For more data on Delaware COVID-19 cases including demographic breakdowns, go to My Healthy Community