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Are you worried about traveling with children not vaccinated against covid-19?

2021-07-27T19:10:30.198Z


Six questions and answers about the risk of traveling with children under 12 who are not vaccinated against covid-19.


1 and a half million children orphaned by covid-19 2:57

Editor's Note:

William C. Miller is Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Epidemiology at Ohio State University. It is funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Association for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The opinions expressed in this comment are solely those of the writer. CNN presents the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.

(CNN) -

Across the United States, Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, mostly in unvaccinated populations. Most of these cases are due to the highly infectious delta variant of SARS-Cov-2, the coronavirus that causes covid-19. Many children are among those who are not vaccinated, simply because vaccines have not been licensed for children under 12 years of age. About a quarter of children 12 to 15 years of age have been vaccinated. Given the increase in cases and the inability to vaccinate young children, many parents are concerned about the safety of traveling this vacation.

The covid-19 risk associated with travel is largely determined by how you will travel, where you will go, who will be there, and what you will do there.

By evaluating these variables, parents can make informed decisions about their travel plans.

1. How much risk does covid-19 represent for children?

When thinking about covid-19 and unvaccinated children, two types of risk must be considered: both the direct risk to the child and the risk of transmission to others. Children develop serious illness from COVID-19 much less often than adults and die much less often. But children die from covid-19. This disease has caused nearly 500 deaths in children 17 and younger in the United States, and some children also suffer from prolonged COVID-19, which are the lingering effects of COVID-19 that are not yet well understood.

To put that in perspective, the number of deaths due to flu in a typical flu season is 150 to 200 children in the United States.

But only one child is known to have died from the flu in the 2020-2021 flu season.

Last year, covid-19 was one of the most common infectious disease-related causes of child death.

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But even when children do not become seriously ill with COVID-19 or show symptoms, they can still transmit the virus to other children and adults.

The child-to-adult transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 is approximately half the adult-to-child transmission rate.

So even when the risk is low for children, transmission to other unvaccinated children and adults remains a serious concern.

  • A study estimates that 1.5 million children lost their parents or grandparents to covid-19

The vulnerability of children to covid-19 2:17

2. Are road trips safer than air travel?

People can meet other people more frequently when traveling than in their daily lives, which automatically increases the possibility of being exposed to someone with Covid-19.

With air travel, families must consider the number of people they are exposed to at airports, as well as on the plane.

At airports, travelers are exposed indoors to many people, potentially from different parts of the country and the world.

But the risk is reduced by the requirement to wear masks indoors at all times at US airports.

On an airplane, travelers can sit near multiple people outside of their own family for a few hours, and some of these people may not consistently meet mask requirements.

Although outbreaks have been associated with air travel, fortunately these reported outbreaks have been rare.

In general, traveling by car is likely to be safer, with exposures limited to infrequent rest stops and short meal breaks.

  • Covid-19 cases in children are on the rise in the United States

3. How does the destination to which they go affect the risk of infection?

Whether in the community itself or when traveling far away, an important risk factor to consider is the rate of covid-19 cases, including the incidence of the delta variant in that community.

When rates of covid-19 increase in a community, that destination becomes less safe, in general, than a community with low and stable rates.

In recent weeks, the highest rates of COVID-19 infection have been observed in communities with the lowest vaccination rates.

One way to assess the risk of a particular destination is to compare the recent COVID-19 and vaccination rates in your destination with the rates in your own community using the CDC website.

  • What does CDC's new COVID-19 guide for schools mean for kids?

4. What types of meetings are safe at the moment?

When people travel, they come into contact with strangers, friends and family with whom they would not find themselves at home.

These interactions, what epidemiologists call "mixing," increase the chances that people will be exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

The additional risk of such mixing depends on the vaccination status of the people found, the number of people found, the nature of that encounter, and the duration of the encounter.

If you are around many people for several hours, your risk is greater than if you are around a few people for a short time.

If almost everyone you will come in contact with is vaccinated, the risk will be very low.

But as the number of unvaccinated people increases, so will the risk.

A family picnicking outdoors in London.

5. What kinds of activities are safe?

An important rule of thumb is that being outdoors is safer than being indoors.

Indoors, the virus can linger in the air for some time, increasing potential exposure.

Outdoors, the virus spreads rapidly, greatly reducing the chances of being exposed to the virus transmitted by someone infected with the coronavirus.

The main concern outdoors is when people are close to each other for long periods of time.

Sitting around other people for several hours outdoors, such as at a baseball game or music festival, could carry some risk, especially if people do not wear masks and the vaccination rate in the community is low.

For children who play together, an activity like wrestling on the grass will be less safe than playing soccer or throwing a frisbee.

6. What steps can reduce the risk of infection?

No decision will be right for everyone.

Each parent will need to weigh the risks and make their own decisions.

Travel will inevitably lead to the exposure of unvaccinated children and adults.

But the risk will be determined by the scope of that exposure.

It is important to remember that vaccination is only one of the tools that can be used to reduce risk.

Consider wearing masks indoors whenever possible.

Masks reduce transmission and have been shown to be an effective adjunct to vaccination.

Wearing a mask indoors and in public spaces some of the time, even if not all the time, further reduces risk.

Before traveling, families should discuss expectations and concerns, both within their own family and with others with whom they will be meeting.

These conversations can be difficult.

People should speak openly, honestly and without judging who has been vaccinated and who has not and agree from the beginning on a set of rules.

And then do your best to enjoy your vacation.

Coronavirus in childrenCovid-19

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-07-27

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