BOSTON (WHDH) - While Massachusetts has not yet seen an uptick in child COVID-19 cases, experts said they’re worried about a rise when school is back in session and are looking to see vaccines approved for kids under 12.
More than 450,000 Massachusetts youths between 12 and 17 years old have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, which is not yet cleared for children under 12. About 1,000 kids under 12 in the state have tested positive in the last two weeks, and experts said the increase of cases in the South could indicate a surge here.
“We expect potentially a surge in cases related to Delta [variant], and with that, a surge in cases related to kids,” said Dr. John Brownstein of Boston Childrens Hospital.
The FDA has asked Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer to expand trials of their vaccines, as researchers examine the effect on children after seeing rare instances of heart inflammation. Dr. Dan Barouch of Beth Israel, which consulted with Johnson & Johnson on its vaccine, said getting a shot was safer than not doing so.
“The risks of not getting vaccinated vastly outweigh the risks of getting vaccinated, that goes for adults and for children,” Barouch said.
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