Demographics

Even if lots of children have had Covid, they’ll still benefit from the vaccine, experts say

A startling statistic emerged as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration debated use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in ages 5 to 11 last week. According to one federal scientist, by June an estimated 42 percent of these children had already been infected with the coronavirus.

That figure was much higher than anyone expected. But the estimate, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, might have overstated the percentage of children who were infected, several experts said in interviews. Among other flaws, the percentage was based on tests known to have a high rate of “false positives” — signaling the presence of antibodies where there were none.

CDC data analyzed by NBC News reveal stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country.

Whether children receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine often depends on where they call home. 

About 81 percent of children ages 12 to 17 in Vermont have had at least one dose of a vaccine to protect against Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by NBC News. Puerto Rico leads the U.S. with a vaccination rate of 91 percent. 

But in West Virginia, the rate is just 35 percent — a marker of stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country. 

The analysis, which tracks closely with a separate review of vaccination data by the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that children are subject to some of the same geographic inequities as adults.