Encouraging new data shows COVID-19 cases declining in school-age kids
Posted November 24, 2021 7:41 am.
Last Updated November 24, 2021 7:43 am.
After a spike in COVID-19 cases in school-age children was reported at the start of the school year, new data is highlighting an encouraging drop in cases among some age groups.
In the B.C. Centre of Disease Control’s Situation Report for November, the case incidence among children aged five to 11 is going down.
There have been five hospitalizations in kids due to COVID-19 in recent weeks, but no new deaths according to the BC CDC data. (bccdc.ca)
Serious adverse events connected to vaccines have been reported in 14 children, two of whom were admitted to the hospital. There have been no deaths connected to COVID-19 in children since last year.
Although the number is alarming, the province says the reporting rate is actually lower in children compared to adults, with about 26.1 reports per 100,000 doses.
These could be allergic reactions to the vaccine, or gastrointestinal symptoms.
“While adverse events following immunization do occur, these events are very uncommon and are vastly outweighed by the risks associated with COVID-19. Data from BC suggest that the risks of acquiring COVID-19 are 13 times higher among unvaccinated 12-17 year-olds compared to their vaccinated counterparts,” the data suggests.
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Since May, more than 245,000 second doses have been administered in the 12-17 year old age group, and about 80 per cent of eligible children have been vaccinated.
The immunization rates are encouraging, and are linked to the decline in COVID-19 cases in schools, however, the province says not all areas are seeing the same positive signs.
Communities where immunization is much lower than the B.C. average continues to show higher infection numbers in children, due to the majority of infections occurring outside the classroom — instead of inside homes or community gatherings.
“Regional differences in case incidence rates reflect community vaccination coverage as well as community prevalence: regions with higher community vaccination rates, such as Vancouver Coastal Health, have generally experienced lower case rates among children,” the report suggests.
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The highest number of new cases in November is in those between 9 to 11 years old, and is lower in children age 12 to 17. Hospitalizations for children have consistently experienced the lower hospitalization rate of all age groups.
In the November 2021 Situation Report, the province shows a decline in COVID-19 cases in school-age children in communities with higher vaccination rates. (bccdc.ca)
There remains about 350,000 kids who could not get a vaccine because they were too young, until now.
Starting Monday, rollout for pediatric vaccines for children five to 11 years old will begin after Health Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for that age group earlier this month.
With files from Denise Wong
