As the number of cases of Covid-19 increased in teens, so did vaccination, and CNN analysis showed

The proportion of complete vaccinated persons between the ages of 12 and 15 also increased, rising from 21.5% in June to 28.7% in July and 32.2% in August.

At the same time, that age group accounted for 43.5% of those who received at least one Covid-19 vaccination in June, rising to 49.7% in July and 54.2% in August. The proportion of fully vaccinated people in that age group increased from 34.6% in June to 40.1% in July and 42.7% in August.

This means that there are millions of adolescents returning to school without vaccination this month, but they are a declining group of about 25 million people aged 12 to 17 in the United States. is.

“They understand that they need to be protected.”

13-year-old Ishaan Mishra remembers being one of the first US teenagers awaiting a vaccine in San Francisco’s local Walgreens in May. That month, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for adolescents up to the age of 12.

“I got it relatively early when it was released, and there were definitely a few other teenagers, so people over the age of 12 were waiting in line. I was definitely excited overall,” Ishan said. Told CNN on Tuesday.

“It helped my friends feel a safer dialogue with me,” he said about getting vaccinated. “I think we can meet more.”

Well, a few months later, Ishan is scheduled to start grade 8 on September 1, and many of his peers still have a positive opinion about the Covid-19 vaccine, he said.

“They understand that they need to be protected,” Ishan said.

“I believe it is very important to get vaccinated before the beginning of the school year,” said Ishaan. “There is always the possibility of getting Covid-19 and I want to protect myself as much as possible.”

Before returning Ishan to the pharmacy for the second dose, Gandhi until the ACIP meeting on June 23 to hear the results of data reporting cases of myocarditis in young men vaccinated. He said he waited first.

ACIP is the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization and a group of medical and public health professionals who make recommendations on how to use vaccines.

Vaccination between the ages of 12 and 15 began high shortly after May 10, when the FDA approved a two-dose Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for that age group. In less than a week, 600,000 children in the group were vaccinated, according to CDC data.

However, the numbers soared on May 23, the day after a media article was published about the possible link between youth vaccines and myocarditis or heart inflammation. Most cases of myocarditis were mild and usually resolved quickly.

In June, the FDA added a warning to the fact sheets for both the Pfizer and Modana vaccines regarding the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis, and inflammation of the tissues around the heart.

According to Gandhi, the CDC data showing mild cases of myocarditis were encouraging, so Ishan was used for the second injection in June, about six weeks after the first dose.

“We had a good experience,” she said, adding that Ishan had only “mild side effects such as fatigue, arm pain, and mild fever after the second shot.”

What is driving the increase in vaccinations?

Despite the plunge in adolescent vaccination following reports of myocarditis, the data suggest that vaccination is now increasing again.

Dr. Soni Priya, an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases, said: At the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“This reasoning, coupled with the understanding that Delta variants are driving this pandemic to another surge, is more enthusiastic than ever to rely on what science has taught us many times. The vaccine works, “Soni said. “Ultimately, many teens and parents have the best chance of a successful and healthy grade when weighing the strengths and weaknesses of starting a grade without protection against Covid-19. I’m preparing to get it. “

Maldonado called the recent increase in adolescent Covid-19 vaccination “promising.”

“It’s always encouraging to see people seeking the benefits of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 and other infections. There are still ways to increase vaccination, but this is It’s a promising trend, “Maldonado said.

“I think the long-awaited reopening of school is one of the factors encouraging families to vaccinate all qualified members,” she said. “But there is no evidence that the opening of a school is causing a new COVID-19 infection. These reflect the highly infectious infections that have occurred in unvaccinated adults in the community.”

The recent increase in cases and hospitalizations for Covid-19, boosted by a variant of the delta coronavirus, appears to be driving vaccination of young people, Gandhi said.

“Yes, the delta wave and growing concerns about child safety, especially as schools reopen, have increased parents’ willingness to vaccinate their children and to adolescents themselves. I think, “said the UCSF Center for AIDS Research.

“I think this is very encouraging, as the group with the most delayed vaccination was young individuals, including adolescents,” Gandhi said. “The Delta variant makes vaccination of young people even more urgent. It’s encouraging to see that 20% of those who have completed vaccination in the last 14 days are adolescents.”

Gandhi’s 13-year-old son, Ishan, wants more people in his unvaccinated age group to roll up their sleeves soon.

“This is the most effective way to stop a pandemic. Masks work, but they can’t protect you from everything,” Ishan said.

“Vaccines are generally 94% effective,” he said. “So definitely, it’s one of the best options you can get when trying to protect yourself and your community from Covid-19.”