They ask to protect children from covid-19 in the US 0:48
(CNN) -
Fears about rising covid-19 infections among children are mounting as the United States is becoming an indicator for other countries, some of which are preparing for a return to school without the order to wear masks in classrooms and without access to vaccines for the younger groups.
The United States has seen an exponential growth in COVID-19 cases among children, reaching levels never seen since last winter's surge.
The week ending Aug. 19 saw more than 180,000 cases in children, compared with about 38,000 cases a week as of the end of July, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.
There is concern that the situation of covid-19 in children could worsen
And, with the return to school, the delta variant on the rise and the approach of winter, health officials worry it could get worse.
On Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer's vaccine for people 16 and older.
Approval for 12-15 year olds is expected to follow soon.
In the UK, infections declined when summer break began in July and fears are mounting that numbers will skyrocket once again when schools reopen in September.
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There are no classroom masks mandates, and while the UK drug watchdog approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children and adolescents aged 12 and over, only clinically vulnerable adolescents have been able to obtain them so far.
The government said Sunday that 16- and 17-year-olds will be offered the vaccine next week, but there has been no announcement about the inoculation of younger children.
Covid-19 cases among U.S. children have skyrocketed to one of the highest rates in the pandemic - experts warn it could get worse
Vaccines: low efficacy against symptomatic disease, but still the best tool against severe covid-19
Two studies published this week suggested decreased immunity from covid-19 vaccines, but emphasized that vaccines still provide high levels of protection against serious diseases for the majority of the population.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the vaccine's efficacy in preventing infection dropped from 91% to 66% once the delta variant accounted for most of the circulating virus .
UK researchers found that protection decreased slightly after six months among people on two doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech or Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines.
The concern is that people who were vaccinated about six months ago could be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, providing further evidence for booster shots in the fall.
The news comes as America's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the pandemic will not be under control until the spring of next year, and even that period would require the majority of American skeptics to vaccines change your mind.
Despite numerous studies showing the benefits of vaccination, tens of millions of Americans hesitate to get vaccinated.
Cases seem to stabilize
The World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that COVID-19 cases appear to be stabilizing globally after rising for nearly two months.
The Western Pacific and the Americas saw the largest increase in cases last week, the former driven in part by the growing outbreak of the delta variant in Australia.
Over the past week, Australia's number of single-day cases repeatedly hit new highs, surpassing its previous record from August last year.
A Florida hospital full of COVID-19 patients was forced to turn away someone who needed cancer treatment, doctor says
Doubts regarding covid zero strategy
The merits of the zero covid strategy followed by many Asia-Pacific countries have been called into question amid this regional increase in cases.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hinted at the end of the country's zero covid strategy in an opinion piece published on Sunday, warning Australians to expect an increase in infections as restrictions ease.
New Zealand authorities reported 62 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest number in a single day.
However, China did not report any new cases on Monday for the first time since July as authorities redoubled their strict zero covid approach.
Vaccine would remove sequelae of covid-19, according to study 2:09
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