COVID-19: Around 1,900 children hospitalised in US amid surge in Delta cases

As the United States grapples with the Delta variant, the number of youngsters hospitalised with COVID-19 has reached an all-time high. According to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 1,902 children were hospitalised across the country as of Saturday. Children currently make up 2.4 per cent of all coronavirus-related hospitalisations in the United States.

Officials urges people to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Officials in the United States have appealed to residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to stay protected against the Delta variant. The vaccine is not available for children under the age of 12, making them more vulnerable. On Thursday, an Alabama paediatric hospital announced that it was treating 22 children with COVID-19, five of whom were on ventilators. The latest outbreak, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House's chief medical adviser, is an outbreak of cases among the unvaccinated. According to data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50.5 per cent of Americans are fully vaccinated, with 59.4 per cent receiving at least one shot. Millions of people are yet to receive a vaccine.

US President Joe Biden fell short of his aim of vaccinating 70 per cent of adults by 4 July. On Saturday, Sally Goza, the former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN that this year's COVID is not similar to the previous year's. This time it is much worse, and the children will be the most affected, Goza added. The CDC revealed that the number of newly hospitalised COVID-19 patients aged 18 to 49 also reached a new high this week.

Schools in many states made it mandatory for children to wear masks

The increased number of infections has raised concerns about vaccination requirements and whether or not youngsters should wear masks in school. California is the first state where teachers and school workers are required to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis. Meanwhile, schools in Florida, Texas, and Arizona have made it mandatory for children to wear masks in classes.

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers union, said she supports obligatory vaccination for its members. She stated that students under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccination and in order to keep them safe, all eligible people should get vaccinated.

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