COVID cases among teens rise as vaccination in elderly continues: Report

New Delhi: A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report has shown that the covid hospitalisation rate in teenagers between 12 and 17 has gone up, and several fell severely sick after more adults got vaccinated. The number of children in the aforementioned age group who got hospitalised from Covid-19 is 2.5-3 times higher than those from the flu over the last three flu seasons.

"Among hospitalised adolescents, nearly one third required intensive care unit admission, and 5 per cent required invasive mechanical ventilation; no associated deaths occurred," warned the report.

The report stresses the need for vaccinating children and adolescents against Covid-19 as vaccination has proved effective in preventing hospitalisation amongst adults. "The findings force us to redouble our motivation to get our adolescents and young adults vaccinated," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

Noting that vaccination could reduce not only hospitalisation but also serious complications, the report said, "Widespread vaccination of adolescents will likely reduce Covid-19-associated hospitalisations, and potential sequelae from Covid-19 in adolescents, including multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious complication of Covid-19."

"Most Covid-associated hospitalisations occur in adults, but the severe disease occurs in all age groups, including adolescents aged 12-17 years," it warned.