Children who can't yet get vaccinated are still vulnerable to COVID-19, experts warn

With fewer people wearing masks, you can see the relief on many faces. Vaccination is giving people protection, but there's still a large number of Americans who remain vulnerable.

The number of kids getting COVID-19 is much lower than the record highs we saw in winter, but the latest data reveals children now account for more than a fifth of new coronavirus cases.

"We don't know what COVID looks like when the children are now really out and about, commingling again," said Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an ER specialist and CEO of Mend Urgent Care in Los Angeles.

With summer activities and camps in full swing, health officials are keeping a close eye on the more transmissible and virulent Delta variant.

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CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky noted that in the month before the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for people as young as 12, the agency observed "troubling data" about adolescents hospitalized with severe Covid-19.

While the vaccines are effective against this variant, children 11 and under can't get vaccinated. So, Cardillo says we have to do what we can to protect kids.

"If you have little ones, let's be careful. Let's protect them and be aware that they are still highly vulnerable," he said, "Make sure that if you're going to be going to music parks or to the shopping mall or to camps, that children are being careful, their distance is being monitored, they're washing their hands vigorously."

Next week, a CDC advisory panel is scheduled to discuss the latest data on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for children. They'll also look into more than 300 confirmed cases of a rare heart inflammation experienced by younger people who were vaccinated.

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"Children's immune systems are very very vigorous and they respond very... strong. And so that's why we feel the heart is having this inflammatory process. Luckily, the numbers of severe disease with severe myocardial injury is very, very, very low," Cardillo said.

Health officials say children and others who are not vaccinated need to continue wearing a mask. Cardillo said cases of colds, RSV and flu are on the rise in young people so that means kids are definitely spreading infections.