U.S. health officials continue to campaign for COVID vaccination in Americans as young as five years old, despite the hospitalizations and mortality rates in that demographic being extremely low, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
In New York City, Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced another set of vaccine mandates impacting private businesses and children aged five to 11. According to Breitbart, New Yorkers in this age group will now be included in the city's Key to NYC vaccine passport program, which requires businesses such as indoor restaurants, fitness centers, and entertainment venues to discriminate against unvaccinated folks.
"We need to see kids getting vaccinated in that age group. Parents, we need you to step up for the good of your children, your family, all of us," Mayor de Blasio told parents on Monday. "Go get your child vaccinated. So we're going to include them in the Key to NYC Pass."
Fox 5 New York reported that children aged five to 11 will now be required to get COVID vaccines in order to participate in what is called "high-risk extracurricular activities" such as sports, band, dance, and orchestra. Currently, about 127,000 New York children in that age group have been vaccinated, representing about 19%. The requirement for one vaccine dose among kids will take effect on December 14.
Similarly last week, U.S. health officials pushed COVID vaccines on very young children, telling parents to get their kids vaccinated in the face of the Omicron variant spread. White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci however said that they lack data showing that the vaccines work against the Omicron variant.
White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients on Friday encouraged Americans to get their booster shots, underscoring that COVID vaccines are "our most important tool" against fighting the disease. He added, "If you're unvaccinated, go get your first shot today. And if your kids are five years or older and not yet vaccinated, get them the protection of the vaccine as well."
The COVID vaccine mandate for children comes as a surprise to some as data from the AAP showed that as of Thanksgiving, children represent only 17% of all COVID cases in the U.S. and very few end up in the hospital. Across 24 states and New York City, less than 2% or 01.% to 1.9% of all pediatric COVID cases resulted in hospitalization. Additionally, across 45 states and New York City, Guam, and Puerto Rico, children comprised "0.00%-0.24% of all COVID-19 deaths, and 6 states reported zero child deaths." Lastly, the AAP said, "?In states reporting, 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death."
"We need to see a lot more," Mayor de Blasio said on Monday, citing that 127,000 vaccinated young children in New York City is "not enough," as per a separate Breitbart report. He added that when it comes to the Omicron variant, "We have to assume it's going to be widespread. We have to assume it's going to give us a real challenge."
This is despite comments from medical experts, saying Omicron is not a cause for concern because its symptoms are mild, and that infections will result to natural immunity without any real risk of serious illness. This variant, according to an immunologist, could be a sign the pandemic is already nearing its end.
Meanwhile, some parents are raising concerns about the vaccine's side effects on kids. Concerned parent Angelique Senter, who herself experienced "severe complications" from her COVID jab, said she was "not ready to do that for my kids and it's very sad that they'll have to miss out on a lot of things" because of the New York COVID vaccine mandate for kids.
