USA will apply booster doses against covid-19 1:24
(CNN) -
The rate of hospitalizations for COVID-19 is increasing across the United States, and rates for children and adults under 50 have reached their highest levels to date, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All age groups under 50 have exceeded their previous record for hospitalizations, which occurred in the first half of January.
The largest increase occurred in adults ages 30 to 39 and children under 18, both with more than a 30% increase from their previous peak, according to CDC data.
The all-age rate is still below the January high.
But at the current rate - an average of more than 11,000 new hospital admissions for COVID-19 over the past week - the US could hit a record high within a month, according to the CDC.
Experts point out that the people most at risk for serious illnesses and hospitalizations are those who are not vaccinated.
However, only 51% of the population is fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the CDC.
Biden talks about the booster dose against covid-19 0:44
The alarming rise in cases, driven by the more transmissible delta variant, has been met with pleas from experts and health officials for more people to get vaccinated.
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The US will apply booster doses of covid-19 vaccines from September 20
It has also sparked an often contentious debate about the obligation to get vaccinated, especially in schools, as well as a growing awareness that booster shots may be needed to cope with declining efficacy.
Vaccinating children is a priority
In the current wave, health experts are especially concerned about the return to school of children, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated.
Currently, children under the age of 12 cannot receive the vaccines, although clinical trials are ongoing.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Chief Health Officer, said making them available to children was a high priority for the Biden administration, and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, will quickly evaluate the data once it is provided by the companies that make the vaccines.
"The time frame really depends on how quickly companies are able to run the trials and get the data to the FDA," Murthy said Wednesday.
Why are adolescents vaccinated against covid-19?
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In the past two weeks, vaccination among teens has increased, leading some experts to speculate that parents who previously were hesitant to vaccinate their children are reconsidering their decisions after seeing more young people falling ill.
The impact of the increase in cases has been felt in school districts that have resumed face-to-face classes.
In Mississippi, there have been 20,334 students who have had to go into quarantine due to possible exposures to COVID-19 between August 9 and 13, according to data from the state health department.
As Covid-19 Cases Increase Among Teens, Vaccination Rate Increases, According to CNN Analysis
Quarantined students make up 4.6% of the total number of students in Mississippi schools, according to the state's enrollment figures.
Controversy over the use of masks in schools
And in Florida's 15 largest school districts, at least 4,641 students and 1,547 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an analysis by CNN.
Another 19,072 students and staff members have been quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19.
Florida officials have disagreed on the precautions, with Gov. Ron DeSantis banning schools from being required to wear masks and many school leaders defying the order.
The Miami Dade County Board of Public Schools voted Wednesday to implement a mask-wearing mandate without parental option, except with a medical excuse.
Booster shots will be available from the end of September
US health authorities released a joint statement Wednesday on providing booster doses of the vaccine in the fall, if cleared by the FDA and approved by the CDC.
But the experts stressed that planning for boosters does not mean that vaccinated people are not sufficiently protected.
Right now "is not the time to go out and get the booster, but we are planning for the end of September to make sure we always stay ahead of this virus," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC.
The data currently shows a decrease in protection against mild and moderate disease, Walensky said, and the boosters are intended to prevent the possible decrease in protection against severe disease that other countries have seen.
The risk of going back to school without masks 2:58
The recent data refers primarily to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that it would release more information soon on the issue of boosting its single-dose vaccine.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, compared decreased protection to realizing that it is time to start looking for a gas station when driving a car.
"It's like the gas gauge is running low," Collins said.
"This is the situation of the people who received the first doses in January. Right now they are not in crisis, but it is time to start making a plan," he added.
Collins said he was on the think tank skeptical about the need to prepare for booster shots, but was convinced by the latest data from the CDC and abroad.
"Putting all of that together, those of us who are analyzing this and trying not to wait until the last minute, we said to work on this over the course of the next month," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that people are not likely to need a covid-19 booster every eight months.
"I don't think it's going to be like that, because from the data we have now, from when we've done booster studies, the level of antibodies that has gone up with that third injection is extraordinary," Fauci told NBC's Lester Holt.
CNN's Deidre McPhillips, Andy Rose, Kay Jones, Lauren Mascarenhas, Mallory Simon, Elizabeth Stuart, Leyla Santiago, Sara Weisfeldt, and Maggie Fox contributed to this report.
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