As authorities continue their vaccination push, Pasadena has seen an increase in infections among children ages 11 and under who are not yet eligible for any of the approved vaccine formulations, officials said.
The Pasadena Public Health Department has confirmed more than 800 infections in kids under 12 since the onset of the pandemic out of the 12,371 total infections detected in the city, amounting to 6.5%, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The number has begun to swell over the past two months, although hospitalizations of children have dropped off entirely.
“Since July, the proportion of cases among children [under] 12 years has increased to 10%, marking a change in the population who is getting COVID-19,” according to Derderian. “We are seeing less seniors 65 and older and more children less than 18 years old being reported.”
But of the 828 total hospitalizations reported in Pasadena during the pandemic, only eight of them — or 0.1% — have involved children 11 and younger, according to city data.
“Since May 23, there have been no hospitalizations of any children less than 18 years due to COVID-19,” Derderian said.
No children under 18 have succumbed to the virus in Pasadena, records show.
Medical professionals are keeping an eye on the growing rate of transmission among young children, according to Dr. Brittany Middleton, Huntington Hospital Medical Director, Pediatrics. They are also trying to learn more about the potential long-term effects of the virus, or so-called “long-COVID,” on young patients.
“Children are contracting COVID-19 at a rising pace,” she said.
“In the pediatric population, hospitalization rates remain low and children still generally recover well, but they could potentially develop long-COVID. These children may experience difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, or other symptoms for more than a month after an initial COVID-19 infection, even if that initial infection was asymptomatic,” Middleton said.
“These symptoms may last for many months and can significantly interfere with the child’s daily activities,” the doctor added.
More research is needed before researchers will know for certain how common lingering effects of infection in children are, she explained.
“A recent study reports a range of 0-27% of children who developed persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection,” Middleton said.
“The best thing that can be done to avoid potential long-COVID is to protect your children against contracting COVID-19,” she said. “Huntington Hospital’s inpatient pediatricians strongly recommend all children age 12 and up be vaccinated against COVID-19. Children age 2 and up should wear masks in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.”
Vaccine makers are working toward having their formulations approved for use in children under 12, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN last week that it was possible a vaccine for kids under 12 would be available by the end of the year.
“If everything were to go well, and everything were to fall into place, I think it’s possible that we could see a vaccine before the end of the calendar year for kids under 12,” Murthy said in a CNN interview. “Make no mistake, the FDA will move quickly on this because they recognize what’s at stake. It’s the health of our children, and there’s really nothing more important than that.”
To help reduce the risk, Pasadena Director of Public Health Dr. Ying-Ying Goh urged parents to take all the steps they can to avoid infection in their children, including making sure those around them who are old enough to get vaccinated do so.
“Everyone aged 12 years and older who is around a child under age 12 should get vaccinated to protect themselves and those not yet eligible for the vaccine,” Goh said.
“With current high levels of COVID-19 transmission, parents should take precautions to reduce the risk of unvaccinated children from becoming infected with COVID-19, including avoiding large gatherings such as parties with family and friends, travel and high-risk activities, such as sports, band and singing,” she said.
“Schools and youth activities, including sports, should follow public health protocols to implement layers of risk mitigation, including the requirement to wear masks indoors,” Goh said.
More information on Pasadena’s COVID-19 response is available online at cityofpasadena.net/covid-19.
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One thought on “COVID-19 Cases Among Children Trend Upward in Pasadena”
Curious to know if the county keeps data like this. Doesn’t seem like they publish it if they do.