The Biden administration announced more ways to get children vaccinated against COVID-19 before the school year starts in a Thursday press release.
“For young people, getting vaccinated right away is the best way back to the things they love – like playing sports, completing their studies, and spending time with friends and loved ones,” the statement said. (RELATED: COVID Hospitalizations In Children ‘Modestly Lower’ Than Flu Hospitalizations, CDC Data Reportedly Shows)
The statement outlined four initiatives to encourage adolescents 12 and older to get vaccinated. These included incorporating vaccination information and status into sports physicals, sending pediatricians to “Back To School” nights across the country, providing resources to host “pop-up vaccine clinics” in school districts, and launching a back to school “Week of Action” in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This graph shows the share of COVID-19 associated deaths by age group, and also the share of all deaths in that age group COVID-19 is responsible for since Jan. 1, 2020.
Source: CDC Provisional COVID-19 Deaths by Sex and Age, updated July 21. https://t.co/M8boTeYI2Y pic.twitter.com/GnczzDXA8q
— Kyle Lamb (@kylamb8) July 22, 2021
Adolescents continue to lag in vaccination rates, with 29% of 12-15 year olds and 40% of 16-17 year olds fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Center for Disease Control (CDC) data. In contrast, vaccination rates in the 65+ age group are around 80%.
Despite the push for vaccination among adolescents, the young and healthy continue to be at low risk for severe adverse outcomes from COVID-19.