CDC: More children under 5 ending up hospitalized with COVID-19

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more children under five are ending up in the hospital due to COVID-19. That age group isn’t eligible yet for the vaccine.

Children’s of Alabama tells us its treating 16 COVID positive patients. Fewer than five are on ventilators. We’re still waiting to get their ages.

We’re told children being admitted have the same respiratory symptoms as before. Dr. David Kimberlin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Children’s, says even though hospitalizations among children are not where they were during September and October with the Delta variant, he doesn’t want parents to let their guards down by any means. Kimberlin tells us right now there are a lot more visits to pediatricians offices and ER’s in the middle of the night.

“I don’t want folks just kind of think...well if hospital numbers aren’t going up then this isn’t impacting children. It is impacting children and its impacting their parents and it’s scaring their parents because they’re the ones scooping their children up at three in the morning and driving to Children’s emergency room to see whether their child is going to be ok,” Dr. Kimberlin said.

Children under five are not eligible yet for the vaccine. Health experts say that’s why its important older kids and adults get their shots to protect those around them.

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