The Claim:
Our very own Noah Louis-Ferdinand gave a public comment before the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but since no good deed goes unpunished, an anti-vaccine publication quoted him as proof that vaccines are unnecessary for children since they are at “low risk” from COVID complications.
The Facts:
What did Noah really say? He shared the story of a family who lost their child to COVID in order to emphasize that even though it is less likely for children to suffer the worst complications from COVID, it is still far more common than one would hope. And, of course, COVID vaccination helps prevent these worst outcomes.
How low is low risk, anyhow?
- MIS-CÂ could affect 1 out of every 3,000 children who have been infected with COVID
- COVID has caused over 1,500 deaths in U.S> children in the last 2.5 years, the majority of which happened in the last 1.5 years
- By comparison, measles killed 500 U.S. children per year before vaccines
- A third of children hospitalized had no underlying conditions
- About 25% of children infected suffer from Long-COVID
- While children may have less risk than adults, COVID is still a really, really terrible disease. Vaccines help mitigate the worst complications.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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