That day-the CDC director urged parents to vaccinate teens and pointed out an increase in severe cases

Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, protects teens from potentially severe illnesses, citing increased COVID-19 hospitalization rates for teens in March and April. To do this, I called on parents to vaccinate teens.

“I am deeply concerned about the number of adolescents in the hospital and saddened by the number of adolescents who needed treatment in the intensive care unit or ventilator,” Warrensky said in a statement. There are. ” Sick young man.

“Most of this suffering can be prevented,” Warensky added. “Parents, relatives and close friends encourage the importance of preventive strategies and vaccination with me and teens. To do it. “

According to the study, nearly one-third of teenagers hospitalized with COVID-19 needed intensive care and 5% needed mechanical ventilation when the number of patients surged earlier this year.

Most COVID-19 hospitalizations are in the elderly, but severe illnesses requiring hospitalization have been shown to occur in all age groups. According to the report, COVID-19 hospitalization rates for adolescents declined in January and February, but increased in March and April.

Researchers say that the increase in youth hospitalizations in March and April may be related to several factors, including highly contagious and potentially dangerous viral variants. Suggests. The number of young people returning to school will increase. Changes in physical distance, wearing masks, and other preventive behaviors.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, approved in December for ages 16 and older, was recommended for use in ages 12-15 last month.

Although the study targeted a small group of adolescents, CDC staff and other experts expressed concern about the potential for aggravation and vaccination as well as complete vaccination. He emphasized the importance of wearing a mask and continuing other preventive actions.

“Vaccination is a way out of this pandemic,” Warensky said. “CDC data continue to show promising signs that a pandemic is nearing its end in the country, but everyone needs to play their part and be vaccinated to cross the finish line. There is. “

The new study is based on data from the CDC’s COVID-19-related surveillance network, a system of COVID-19 hospitalizations confirmed in laboratories in 99 counties in 14 states, covering approximately 10% of the US population. I am.

The study examined 376 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who were hospitalized between January 1 and March 31 and tested positive for the coronavirus. Of that total, 204 young people were hospitalized primarily for COVID-19, 31% were hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and 5% needed an invasive ventilator. No young people died. (According to the report, 172 other hospitalized adolescents may have been hospitalized for reasons not directly related to COVID-19.)

Approximately 70% of the 204 adolescents hospitalized primarily with COVID-19 had at least one underlying illness. The most common is obesity. However, according to the report, nearly 30% of people had no underlying disease reported, “showing that healthy adolescents are also at risk for severe COVID-19-related disease.” Stated.

Of the 204 teens, 52% were female, 31% were Latino, and 36% were black.

According to researchers, the cumulative hospitalization rate for COVID-19 in young people from October 1, 2020 to April 24, 2021 is 2.5 times the rate of seasonal influenza-related hospitalizations in the three recent influenza seasons. It was tripled from.

“Influenza rarely causes long-term symptoms and organ damage, unlike covid-19,” said Andrew Pavia, a professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Utah. There are many reasons to get the vaccine as soon as possible, including your own health, the ability to control COVID-19 in a more vulnerable group, and the ability to return to normal life. “

Hospitalization rates may be underestimated, according to researchers. admission.