Experts say kids should still get a vaccine when they can. Here's why

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Fri, 2021-06-04 12:02 — mike kraft

Covid-19 cases are falling, but experts say kids should still get a vaccine when they can. Here's why CNN senior medical correspondent <a href="https://www.cnn.com/profiles/elizabeth-cohen" target="_blank">Elizabeth Cohen</a> says it may be unlikely that President Biden meets his goal of having <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/04/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html" target="_blank">70% of adults</a> get at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by July 4, as the pace of US vaccinations falls. Jen Christensen, CNN CNN

(CNN) As a pediatric infectious disease specialist, Dr. Amy Edwards has fielded a lot of questions from worried parents during the pandemic. As case numbers drop -- among children, Covid-19 cases have fallen to levels not seen since October -- the question she's getting is: Do younger children really need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 when a shot becomes available?

Her answer is yes.

Experts say vaccinating young people is an integral part of protecting the broader community from Covid-19, and although serious disease among children is rare, they need protection, too. A CDC study released Friday detailed "troubling" recent data around Covid-19 hospitalizations among adolescents, and urged continued use of prevention measures.

"The truth of the matter is, kids wouldn't have to get vaccinated if all the adults would," said Edwards, who is the associate medical director of Pediatric Infection Control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.

"I think then you'd have so little community spread that it wouldn't be a problem. However, we know that a huge chunk of adults aren't going to get vaccinated, and that leaves some kids vulnerable, and that's why they need the vaccine."

Currently there are only 12 states where at least 70% of adults have at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. It's not clear if or when the United States will reach community immunity, but doctors say children -- not only adults -- will need to play a role, too.

"We really need to add another group of children to be vaccinated to come across that threshold to reach herd immunity," said Dr. Claire Boogaard, a pediatrician and medical director of the Covid-19 vaccine program at Children's National. ...

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