The updated Covid-19 booster shot could prevent thousands of hospitalizations and millions of missed school days, according to an analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health. If school-age children were vaccinated with the updated Covid-19 booster shot at the same rate that they were vaccinated against flu last season – between 50% and 60% coverage – at least 38,000 pediatric hospitalizations could be averted, including about 9,000 stays in intensive care units, through March. And if Covid-19 booster coverage reached 80% among school-age children by the end of the year, more than 50,000 hospitalizations could be averted. The new analysis also found that higher vaccination rates could help keep kids in school, a benefit that other research has found could have important effects on mental health and academic achievement. Assuming a five-day isolation period for children with mild illness and 10 days for those who are hospitalized or otherwise severely ill, bringing Covid-19 booster uptake in line with flu shots for children could prevent more than 22 million days of school absenteeism. An illustrative image of a person holding a medical syringe and a Covid-19 vaccine vial in front of the Moderna logo displayed on a screen. On Wednesday, January 12, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images/FILE Moderna says updated booster generated ‘significantly higher’ neutralizing antibodies against BA.4/BA.5 subvariants But the scenarios presented in the new analysis are quite unrealistic. So far, less than 5% of school-age children have their updated booster shot, according to CDC data. A record number of updated Covid-19 boosters were administered in the first week of November, and US officials say they’re planning to push this week for people to get boosted against Covid-19 in order to offer maximum protection around Thanksgiving, but overall uptake remains low. To get to 50% coverage by the end of the year, the pace of vaccination would have to be at least 10 times faster than it’s been in November. “Accelerated vaccination campaigns that achieve high coverage across all ages have the potential to prevent a possible imminent surge in Covid-19, protecting children both directly and indirectly and providing them with additional stability inatenția Consiliului — Higher-19 vaccination levels can protect young children from severe respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchiolitis, according to a new analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health. If school-age children were vaccinated with the updated Covid-19 booster shot at the same rate that they were vaccinated against flu last season – between 50% and 60% coverage –
The vaccines that could keep thousands of children out of hospital are not being used, a report has found.The Covid-19 vaccines are not being used by parents, despite the fact that they could keep thousands of children out of hospital
