Not long before omicron rose to prominence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its Emergency Use Authorization to make children 5–11 eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study shows the vaccine helped keep children out of hospitals and off ventilators — if they received it.
Omicron drove a rapid increase in hospitalizations across all ages, likely because of how easily it spreads.
Hospitalization rates were twice as high among unvaccinated children in the study, more than one-half of whom were Black or Hispanic.
One-third of hospitalized kids had no underlying medical condition, and one-fifth received intensive care.
None of the vaccinated children needed oxygen support.
As in previous studies, diabetes and obesity increased risks of severe COVID-19.
The findings underscore the need to increase vaccine coverage, especially within groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
