COVID-19 vaccinations for young children now expected to start later than previously thought.
Some families in Michigan, where health officials reported their first case of COVID-19 on May 3, have opted out of getting their children vaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough), the disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Some medical experts say it may be easier to prevent the disease in babies and toddlers than to vaccinate them.
A new CDC report suggests that in the past three weeks, only 2,922 children in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated against pertussis. That’s down from 25,097 cases reported in total in the previous year.
Here’s what’s known and what’s still unknown about the coronavirus.
What’s known:
As of late Tuesday, there were 2,922 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Symptoms of COVID-19 tend to appear two or three days after exposure, and include fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Symptoms generally appear 30 to 90 days after exposure, and can last for a month or longer.
Those infected generally don’t need to be hospitalized, and have a low risk of other serious complications.
What’s still unknown:
A new study suggests that babies and toddlers may be at greater risk of serious or “severe” COVID-19 infection than are older children or adults.
According to the study, more than 13,000 children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, and it’s “likely that nearly all of those children have had close contact with an adult who has recovered from COVID-19 infection.”
The study authors say it may be important “to evaluate and consider whether or not infants and infants may be more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes.”
On average, only one in 150 babies in the U.S. test positive for COVID-19, but older children and adults are more likely to test positive.
In addition, more than 13% to 14.3% of adults infected with COVID-19 develop severe