VOA健康报道--未接种新冠肺炎疫苗的儿童住院率上升

Hospitalizations Rising in Children Too Young for COVID Shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that hospitalizations of American children under 5 with COVID-19 has greatly increased in recent weeks. It is the only age group that cannot yet get the COVID-19 vaccine¹. The rates of hospitalized children are now at the highest level since the pandemic began.

Since mid-December, the hospitalization rate in the youngest children has increased from 2.5 in 100,000 to more than 4 in 100,000. The omicron variant² has quickly spread during this period in the United States.

The CDC information is taken from over 250 hospitals in 14 states. It shows about 1 in 100,000 children ages 5 to 17 are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky is the director at the CDC. She said hospitalizations for children are at their highest rates compared to any former point in the pandemic. She noted³ that just over 50 percent of children ages 12 to 18 and only 16 percent of those 5 to 11 are fully⁴ vaccinated⁶.

The CDC says the overall hospitalization rate among those under 18 is still lower than that of any other age group. And they make up less than five percent of average new daily hospital intakes⁷.

As of January 4, the average number of under-18 patients admitted to the hospital per day with COVID-19 was 766, double the number reported just two weeks ago.

The CDC said increase among the very youngest children is being driven by high hospitalization rates in five states: Georgia, Connecticut, Tennessee, California, and Oregon. The greatest increases were in Georgia.

Walensky said the numbers include children hospitalized because of COVID-19 and those admitted for other reasons but found to be infected.

The CDC said the increase could partially⁸ be explained by how COVID-19 hospitalizations in this group are defined⁹: a positive virus test within 14 days of hospitalization for any reason.

Dr. John McGuire is critical care chief at Seattle Children's Hospital. He said the severity of illness among children during the omicron wave seems lower than it was with the delta¹⁰ variant.

Most of the hospitalized children with COVID came in for other medical reasons, "but happened to have tested positive," McGuire said in an email.

The nation's top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that omicron appears to cause less-severe disease. But because of how quickly it spreads, it causes more infections, and more children will get the disease. And some of them will be hospitalized.

Fauci also said that many children hospitalized with COVID-19 have other health problems that make it easier for them to have other issues from the virus.

Fauci and Walensky have said that one of the best ways to protect the youngest of children is to vaccinate⁵ everyone else.

Dr. Jennifer Kusma is a children's doctor with Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital. She said she has seen increasing numbers of children hospitalized with omicron. While most are not severely¹¹ sick, she understands the concerns parents have for their young children.

"I really wish we already had that vaccine for these young kids,'' Kusma said. She added that what seems like a long wait should help parents' concern that the vaccine testing is not being hurried.

Many hoped the new year might bring a vaccine for young children. But Pfizer announced last month that the two shots did not offer as much protection as hoped for children ages two to four.

Pfizer's study has been renewed to give everyone under 5 a third shot and the information is expected in early spring.

Among 102 children ages 12 to 18 who were hospitalized with COVID-19, none who had received two Pfizer shots at least 28 days earlier needed ventilators or other advanced life support. Of unvaccinated children, 40 percent required such treatment.

Words in This Story

variant – n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

positive – adj. showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance

kid – n. a young person

ventilator – n. a device for helping a person to breathe

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

6 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

7 intakes   

吸入( intake的名词复数 )； （液体等）进入口； （一定时期内）进入或纳入的人数； （采煤）进风巷道

参考例句：

• The Tornado jet fighter-bomber has two air intakes. 旋风式喷气轰炸机有两个空气入口。
• The air intakes to the carburetors were filling up with freezing snow. 汽化器的进气道被积雪封住了。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821

8 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

9 defined   

adj 定义的; 清晰的

参考例句：

• These categories are not well defined. 这些类别划分得不太明确。
• The powers of a judge are defined by law. 法官的权限是由法律规定的。

10 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。