Kids account for 27% of US cases--new statistics

Kids account for 27% of US cases; Arizona program to discourage mandates violates rules, feds say: COVID updates Kids account for a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases. Arizona's program to discourage mandates violates federal rules. Latest updates. Christal Hayes, Celina Tebor and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY YahooNews

Children make up only 22% of the U.S. population but account for 27% of coronavirus cases nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Monday.

The organization said the number of children receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine this week was the lowest recorded number since vaccines became available, and has been trending downward for almost two months.

Kids make up less than 1% of COVID-19 deaths, the Academy said, but there isn’t much data about the long-term effects of the coronavirus on children. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 5.9 million children have tested positive for COVID-19, and less than half of eligible children have been fully inoculated.

Children ages 5 to 11 — making up 14.5% of the U.S. population — are not yet approved to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but recent action by the Food and Drug Administration suggests that may change soon. The FDA scheduled a meeting of the independent committee, which advises the administration on vaccine and drug approvals, for the end of October. ..