Latest news with #COVID-related
NDTV
15 hours ago
- Health
- NDTV
This Is India's Only State With Zero COVID-19 Cases Amid Nationwide Surge
As several Indian states witness a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, Sikkim has emerged as the only state in the country with zero active cases, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India's active COVID-19 caseload rose to 3,395 on Saturday, marking a dramatic spike of over 1,200% from just 257 cases reported on May 22. In the last 24 hours alone, the country logged 685 new cases and four deaths. Despite this surge-driven largely by states like Kerala (1,336 active cases), Maharashtra (467), and Delhi (375), Sikkim has not reported a single active infection, setting it apart in a nationwide rise. Other states with growing case counts include Gujarat (265), Karnataka (234), West Bengal (205), Tamil Nadu (185), and Uttar Pradesh (117). Even smaller regions like Puducherry (41) and Haryana (26) are seeing a noticeable uptick. In contrast, Sikkim's ability to remain COVID-free in the current wave is being seen as a significant public health achievement. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has flagged two new subvariants- LF. 7 and NB.1.8.1-as "Variants Under Monitoring." While they have been linked to a rise in cases in some countries, the UN health body has stated that there is no evidence yet of increased severity, and current vaccines remain effective against symptomatic and severe disease. India has reported 26 COVID-related deaths in 2025 so far, as health officials continue to monitor evolving variants and case trends.
Mint
a day ago
- Health
- Mint
COVID-19 cases in India rise to 3,395; Delhi woman among 4 dead in 24 hours, 68 test positive in Maharashtra — 10 points
COVID-19 Cases in India: COVID-19 cases are rising across India, with the country reporting over 3,000 cases and four deaths as of Saturday, May 31. Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka and West Bengal have the highest number of active cases, according to data from the Union Home Ministry. 1. India now officially has over 3,000 active COVID-19 cases. According to data from the Ministry of Health, the number of active COVID-19 cases in India were 3,395 as of Saturday. The highest number of cases are in Kerala at 1,336, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi. 2. India has reported four Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours The deceased persons are from Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. As per data, 1,435 people have been discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours. 3. The severity of infections is low, with most of the patients under home care. There is no reason to worry, according to sources quoted by PTI. The situation is being closely monitored, they said. 4. Amid 467 active cases in Maharashtra, the state on Saturday reported 68 new COVID-19 cases. Of the new cases, 30 were detected in Mumbai and 15 from Pune Municipal Corporation limits. Cases were also detected in Kalyan-Dombivali and Raigad. 5. Meanwhile, the Karnataka health department has asked people to stay calm, remain vigilant, and work with health authorities to prevent further spread and ensure public safety. It also issued directions to schools amid the current COVID-19 surge, as they are scheduled to open in June. It has asked government and private schools to take precautions in the interest of school children's health. 6. Delhi has reported one death related to COVID-19 on Saturday. A 60-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 died, marking the first fatality since the recent surge. 'The woman was suffering from acute intestinal obstruction post-laparotomy. The COVID-19 finding was incidental,' an official said. 7. A 63-year-old man with co-morbidities and who tested positive for COVID-19 died at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday. This takes the number of COVID-related deaths in Karnataka to four amid the recent surge. According to the health department statement, the elderly patient who was fully vaccinated was on post operative chemotherapy and had co-morbidities like pulmonary TB with squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa. 8. Since the start of the year, seven COVID-19 patients have died in Karnataka, six of whom had co-morbidities. Adequate coronavirus testing and treatment facilities are available in the state and people should not panic, the health department said. 9. The Karnataka health department has further issued a public advisory, asking people to practice responsible behaviour by wearing masks in crowded places, maintaining physical distancing, and practicing good hygiene. 10. Two more persons tested positive for Covid in Odisha, taking the total number of cases in the state to seven, Health Secretary Aswathy S said on Saturday. Urging people not to panic, she said the condition of all the patients is stable.
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Class Action Filed Against West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) – July 7, 2025 Deadline to Join – Contact Levi & Korsinsky
NEW YORK, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Levi & Korsinsky, LLP notifies investors in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. ('West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.' or the 'Company') (NYSE: WST) of a class action securities lawsuit. CLASS DEFINITION: The lawsuit seeks to recover losses on behalf of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. investors who were adversely affected by alleged securities fraud between February 16, 2023 and February 12, 2025. Follow the link below to get more information and be contacted by a member of our team: West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Lawsuit Submission Form WST investors may also contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500. CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that defendants made false statements and/or concealed that: (a) despite claiming strong visibility into customer demand and attributing headwinds to temporary COVID-related product destocking, West was in fact experiencing significant and ongoing destocking across its high-margin HVP portfolio; (b) West's SmartDose device, which was purportedly positioned as a high-margin growth product, was highly dilutive to the Company's profit margins due to operational inefficiencies; (c) these margin pressures created the risk of costly restructuring activities, including the Company's exit from continuous glucose monitoring contracts with longstanding customers; and (d) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and/or misleading or lacked a reasonable basis. WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. during the relevant time frame, you have until July 7, 2025 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you are a class member, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket costs or fees. There is no cost or obligation to participate. WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. CONTACT:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph E. Levi, Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 [email protected] Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A new COVID subvariant spreads rapidly as Trump pivots away from vaccines
A new, highly transmissible COVID subvariant has been detected in California — heightening the risk of a potential summer wave as recent moves by the Trump administration threaten to make vaccines harder to get, and more expensive, for many Americans, some health experts warn. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced this week that he was rescinding the federal government's recommendation that pregnant women and healthy children get immunized against COVID, effective immediately. Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, also said the agency will no longer routinely approve annually formulated COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy people under age 65. "We simply don't know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had COVID-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose," Makary, along with another FDA official, Dr. Vinay Prasad, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine this month. "This policy will compel much-needed evidence generation." Read more: Kennedy says COVID vaccines no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women However, some experts say mandating more extensive testing could delay vaccine access for many, as those efforts may not even be complete until after the end of the upcoming winter flu-and-COVID season. "Pregnant women, infants and young children are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID, and the safety of the COVID vaccine has been widely demonstrated," Dr. Sean O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that, in general, getting an updated vaccine provides children and adults additional protection from COVID-related emergency room and urgent care visits. The recent federal changes, according to some experts, could also prompt private insurance companies and government insurers to stop paying for COVID shots for wide segments of the population, including babies and children. Absent a recommendation by federal officials, Americans could end up paying the entire cost of a vaccine, experts say. The out-of-pocket cost for a COVID vaccine at CVS, for instance, is $198.99. Read more: Trump administration cancels $766-million Moderna contract to fight pandemic flu Although the emergency phase of the pandemic has long since passed, authorities note COVID remains a public health concern. A relatively new subvariant has been spreading in Europe and Asia, "particularly Hong Kong, Taiwan, other countries, Japan, etc.," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert. That subvariant, NB.1.8.1, was first documented in January and has since been detected in California, including in Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area. The World Health Organization designated it a "Variant Under Monitoring" last week. NB.1.8.1 has grown exponentially worldwide in recent weeks. The Omicron subvariant represented 10.7% of genetically analyzed viral samples worldwide for the week ending April 27, WHO data show. That was up sharply from the week ending April 6, when the subvariant accounted for 2.5% of samples worldwide. "While still low numbers, this is a significant rise," the WHO said, adding that there was a "concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread." Read more: Trump officials set new requirements for COVID vaccines in healthy adults and children NB.1.8.1 isn't yet prevalent enough in the United States to be publicly tracked by the CDC. Another strain, LP.8.1, accounted for an estimated 73% of coronavirus specimens nationally for the two-week period ending Saturday. Data suggest NB.1.8.1 does not cause more severe illness, "but it is more transmissible, at least from what we're seeing around the world and also from lab experiments," said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious-disease expert at Stanford University. In Taiwan, a top health official told reporters that an NB.1.8.1-fueled outbreak was "continuing to rise rapidly, with a sustained increase in severe and fatal cases," the Central News Agency reported, prompting a shortage of COVID testing kits. Health officials said a factor in Taiwan's surge was the lack of a major COVID wave over the winter, and forecast that the island's current spike may not peak for another four to six weeks. NB.1.8.1 has seen increased prevalence in each of the three WHO regions that still consistently share genetic analysis of COVID samples — the Western Pacific (which includes East Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia); Europe; and the Americas. The rate at which COVID tests are coming back positive in Los Angeles County has slightly increased over the past few weeks, although the overall positive rate remains low, at 3.5%, according to the county Department of Public Health. Coronavirus levels detected in the county's wastewater have increased by 6% in the last three weeks, but also remain relatively low and are about one-eighth of the peak in the summer of last year. Read more: Ex-official says he was forced out of FDA after trying to protect vaccine safety data from RFK Jr. Although California experienced a mild winter season — a first of the COVID era — that followed a powerful summer spike that was the strongest in years. Many experts and officials have touted available COVID vaccines as effective both in warding off infection and in lessening the severity of symptoms. However, the need for otherwise healthy individuals to roll up their sleeves has been a matter of debate. In a video message Tuesday on X, Kennedy — a noted vaccine skeptic — said that he "couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule." Experts said they could not recall a time when a political appointee circumvented a well-established process of making vaccine recommendations, which typically involves panels of scientists advising the FDA and CDC. "It's kind of chilling," Chin-Hong said. "It's out of step with the system we've learned to trust and follow." Read more: WHO adopts a 'pandemic agreement' after the chaos of COVID In a statement to The Times, the L.A. County Department of Public Health urged Kennedy to listen to experts in the field — including from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is scheduled to meet next month — "before decreasing access to any vaccine." As of Thursday, the CDC still had the long-standing vaccine recommendations on its website: Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the most recent COVID-19 vaccine, officially known as the 2024-25 version, which was introduced in September. The CDC also recommends seniors ages 65 and up get a second vaccine dose six months after their first. In a statement, the California Department of Public Health said that it supports the current expansive recommendation for COVID vaccines, and that it "will continue to follow the federal conversation through this dynamic situation." "Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination can reduce the risk of disease, especially more severe cases that result in hospitalization or death," the department added. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the CDC did not know of Kennedy's directive until he posted it, and officials have been "scrambling to find out what it meant." Experts who spoke with The Times warned the practical effect of the edict — if it becomes official — could be far more costly vaccines for affected groups. "If vaccines are not recommended by the CDC, insurance companies would NOT be required to cover the cost," the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement. Read more: A pediatrician's dilemma: Should a practice kick out unvaccinated kids? As a result, the vaccines may be less accessible to healthier people who still want them — perhaps because they live or work with elderly or other higher-risk people, they've had severe COVID illness before, or they want to protect themselves against the latest subvariant, the agency said. If the FDA withholds a license for an updated COVID vaccination for younger, healthier adults, this group "would not be able to receive it unless their provider chooses to give it 'off label,'" the county said. When asked whether healthy pregnant women and healthy children can still get vaccinated at its pharmacies, Walgreens said its teams operate "in full compliance with applicable laws." CVS said its locations "follow federal guidance regarding vaccine administration and are monitoring any changes that the government may make regarding vaccine eligibility." Kaiser Permanente Southern California said it was aware of potential changes, but noted no new formal guidance has yet been issued. As a result, Kaiser is continuing to follow existing guidance, which recommends the shots for everyone. The L.A. County Department of Public Health said that as of Wednesday, "pregnant women and healthy children can get vaccinated for COVID-19," according to existing recommendations from an advisory panel and the CDC. Read more: RFK Jr. kept asking to see the science that vaccines were safe. After he saw it, he dismissed it Chin-Hong noted there were 150 pediatric deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 in a recent one-year period. That's in the same ballpark as the 231 pediatric flu deaths recorded this season, and federal health officials recommend everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu shot. "Most people would agree that kids should be targeted for flu vaccines. It seems kind of weird to have COVID as an outlier in that respect," Chin-Hong said. In the video published this week, Makary said that "most countries in the world have stopped recommending the vaccine for children." Maldonado, however, said the U.S. doesn't use other nations' standards to dictate vaccine recommendations. The U.S., for instance, recommends other types of vaccines that have a lower prevalence than COVID that people want to get, Maldonado said, such as the meningococcal vaccine for children to guard against a serious bacterial disease that can infect the brain and spinal cord and cause death within hours. The effect of a recommendation also varies by country. Canada, for instance, recommends updated COVID vaccines for seniors and other people who meet certain criteria, such as if they're pregnant or are a healthcare worker. But the country's universal healthcare system still allows everyone ages 6 months and older to get an updated COVID vaccine. Although it's true that children overall are at lower risk of developing severe COVID illness, those under 6 months of age "have the same risk of complications as the 65-year-old-plus population in this country," said Stanford's Maldonado, who also serves on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Read more: Trump's first term brought world-changing vaccine. His second could bring retreat Among children eligible for vaccination, COVID-associated hospitalization rates are highest for those ages 6 months to 4 years, according to the CDC. "So are children going to be the highest risk group? No, they're not. But would you want to protect your child from a disease that could potentially put them in the hospital and get them on a ventilator? Yes, I would say that I would want to make that choice for myself. And why not allow the parent to make that choice?" Maldonado said. The CDC says COVID vaccination during pregnancy builds antibodies that can help protect the baby; studies have also shown that vaccinated moms who breastfeed have protective antibodies in their milk, which could help protect their babies. There have been an estimated 260,000 to 430,000 hospitalizations attributed to COVID since October, causing "an enormous burden on the healthcare system," Dr. Fiona Havers, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, said at a recent public meeting. There have also been an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 COVID-19 deaths over the same time period. "It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in older adults, but it does affect other people, particularly those with underlying conditions, in younger age groups." COVID is also a major cause of pediatric hospitalizations, even among otherwise healthy children, she said. "If there's a summer wave this year, we'll be seeing it in children being hospitalized with COVID as well," she said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
A new COVID subvariant spreads rapidly as Trump pivots away from vaccines
A new, highly transmissible COVID subvariant has been detected in California — heightening the risk of a potential summer wave as recent moves by the Trump administration threaten to make vaccines harder to get, and more expensive, for many Americans, some health experts warn. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced this week that he was rescinding the federal government's recommendation that pregnant women and healthy children get immunized against COVID, effective immediately. Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, also said the agency will no longer routinely approve annually formulated COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy people under age 65. 'We simply don't know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had COVID-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose,' Makary, along with another FDA official, Dr. Vinay Prasad, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine this month. 'This policy will compel much-needed evidence generation.' However, some experts say mandating more extensive testing could delay vaccine access for many, as those efforts may not even be complete until after the end of the upcoming winter flu-and-COVID season. 'Pregnant women, infants and young children are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID, and the safety of the COVID vaccine has been widely demonstrated,' Dr. Sean O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that, in general, getting an updated vaccine provides children and adults additional protection from COVID-related emergency room and urgent care visits. The recent federal changes, according to some experts, could also prompt private insurance companies and government insurers to stop paying for COVID shots for wide segments of the population, including babies and children. Absent a recommendation by federal officials, Americans could end up paying the entire cost of a vaccine, experts say. The out-of-pocket cost for a COVID vaccine at CVS, for instance, is $198.99. Although the emergency phase of the pandemic has long since passed, authorities note COVID remains a public health concern. A relatively new subvariant has been spreading in Europe and Asia, 'particularly Hong Kong, Taiwan, other countries, Japan, etc.,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert. That subvariant, NB.1.8.1, was first documented in January and has since been detected in California, including in Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area. The World Health Organization designated it a 'Variant Under Monitoring' last week. NB.1.8.1 has grown exponentially worldwide in recent weeks. The Omicron subvariant represented 10.7% of genetically analyzed viral samples worldwide for the week ending April 27, WHO data show. That was up sharply from the week ending April 6, when the subvariant accounted for 2.5% of samples worldwide. 'While still low numbers, this is a significant rise,' the WHO said, adding that there was a 'concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread.' NB.1.8.1 isn't yet prevalent enough in the United States to be publicly tracked by the CDC. Another strain, LP.8.1, accounted for an estimated 73% of coronavirus specimens nationally for the two-week period ending Saturday. Data suggest NB.1.8.1 does not cause more severe illness, 'but it is more transmissible, at least from what we're seeing around the world and also from lab experiments,' said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious-disease expert at Stanford University. In Taiwan, a top health official told reporters that an NB.1.8.1-fueled outbreak was 'continuing to rise rapidly, with a sustained increase in severe and fatal cases,' the Central News Agency reported, prompting a shortage of COVID testing kits. Health officials said a factor in Taiwan's surge was the lack of a major COVID wave over the winter, and forecast that the island's current spike may not peak for another four to six weeks. NB.1.8.1 has seen increased prevalence in each of the three WHO regions that still consistently share genetic analysis of COVID samples — the Western Pacific (which includes East Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia); Europe; and the Americas. The rate at which COVID tests are coming back positive in Los Angeles County has slightly increased over the past few weeks, although the overall positive rate remains low, at 3.5%, according to the county Department of Public Health. Coronavirus levels detected in the county's wastewater have increased by 6% in the last three weeks, but also remain relatively low and are about one-eighth of the peak in the summer of last year. Although California experienced a mild winter season — a first of the COVID era — that followed a powerful summer spike that was the strongest in years. Many experts and officials have touted available COVID vaccines as effective both in warding off infection and in lessening the severity of symptoms. However, the need for otherwise healthy individuals to roll up their sleeves has been a matter of debate. In a video message Tuesday on X, Kennedy — a noted vaccine skeptic — said that he 'couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.' Experts said they could not recall a time when a political appointee circumvented a well-established process of making vaccine recommendations, which typically involves panels of scientists advising the FDA and CDC. 'It's kind of chilling,' Chin-Hong said. 'It's out of step with the system we've learned to trust and follow.' In a statement to The Times, the L.A. County Department of Public Health urged Kennedy to listen to experts in the field — including from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is scheduled to meet next month — 'before decreasing access to any vaccine.' As of Thursday, the CDC still had the long-standing vaccine recommendations on its website: Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the most recent COVID-19 vaccine, officially known as the 2024-25 version, which was introduced in September. The CDC also recommends seniors ages 65 and up get a second vaccine dose six months after their first. In a statement, the California Department of Public Health said that it supports the current expansive recommendation for COVID vaccines, and that it 'will continue to follow the federal conversation through this dynamic situation.' 'Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination can reduce the risk of disease, especially more severe cases that result in hospitalization or death,' the department added. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the CDC did not know of Kennedy's directive until he posted it, and officials have been 'scrambling to find out what it meant.' Experts who spoke with The Times warned the practical effect of the edict — if it becomes official — could be far more costly vaccines for affected groups. 'If vaccines are not recommended by the CDC, insurance companies would NOT be required to cover the cost,' the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement. As a result, the vaccines may be less accessible to healthier people who still want them — perhaps because they live or work with elderly or other higher-risk people, they've had severe COVID illness before, or they want to protect themselves against the latest subvariant, the agency said. If the FDA withholds a license for an updated COVID vaccination for younger, healthier adults, this group 'would not be able to receive it unless their provider chooses to give it 'off label,'' the county said. When asked whether healthy pregnant women and healthy children can still get vaccinated at its pharmacies, Walgreens said its teams operate 'in full compliance with applicable laws.' CVS said its locations 'follow federal guidance regarding vaccine administration and are monitoring any changes that the government may make regarding vaccine eligibility.' Kaiser Permanente Southern California said it was aware of potential changes, but noted no new formal guidance has yet been issued. As a result, Kaiser is continuing to follow existing guidance, which recommends the shots for everyone. The L.A. County Department of Public Health said that as of Wednesday, 'pregnant women and healthy children can get vaccinated for COVID-19,' according to existing recommendations from an advisory panel and the CDC. Chin-Hong noted there were 150 pediatric deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 in a recent one-year period. That's in the same ballpark as the 231 pediatric flu deaths recorded this season, and federal health officials recommend everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu shot. 'Most people would agree that kids should be targeted for flu vaccines. It seems kind of weird to have COVID as an outlier in that respect,' Chin-Hong said. In the video published this week, Makary said that 'most countries in the world have stopped recommending the vaccine for children.' Maldonado, however, said the U.S. doesn't use other nations' standards to dictate vaccine recommendations. The U.S., for instance, recommends other types of vaccines that have a lower prevalence than COVID that people want to get, Maldonado said, such as the meningococcal vaccine for children to guard against a serious bacterial disease that can infect the brain and spinal cord and cause death within hours. The effect of a recommendation also varies by country. Canada, for instance, recommends updated COVID vaccines for seniors and other people who meet certain criteria, such as if they're pregnant or are a healthcare worker. But the country's universal healthcare system still allows everyone ages 6 months and older to get an updated COVID vaccine. Although it's true that children overall are at lower risk of developing severe COVID illness, those under 6 months of age 'have the same risk of complications as the 65-year-old-plus population in this country,' said Stanford's Maldonado, who also serves on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Among children eligible for vaccination, COVID-associated hospitalization rates are highest for those ages 6 months to 4 years, according to the CDC. 'So are children going to be the highest risk group? No, they're not. But would you want to protect your child from a disease that could potentially put them in the hospital and get them on a ventilator? Yes, I would say that I would want to make that choice for myself. And why not allow the parent to make that choice?' Maldonado said. The CDC says COVID vaccination during pregnancy builds antibodies that can help protect the baby; studies have also shown that vaccinated moms who breastfeed have protective antibodies in their milk, which could help protect their babies. There have been an estimated 260,000 to 430,000 hospitalizations attributed to COVID since October, causing 'an enormous burden on the healthcare system,' Dr. Fiona Havers, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, said at a recent public meeting. There have also been an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 COVID-19 deaths over the same time period. 'It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in older adults, but it does affect other people, particularly those with underlying conditions, in younger age groups.' COVID is also a major cause of pediatric hospitalizations, even among otherwise healthy children, she said. 'If there's a summer wave this year, we'll be seeing it in children being hospitalized with COVID as well,' she said.
