The COVID-19 delta variant has been surging lately and hospitalizations are on the rise. That's particularly true in areas with low vaccination rates. And in Mississippi, where the rate is below 50%, COVID infections are climbing.
Now, seven children are in the ICU and two of those kids are on life support. Mississippi health official Dr. Thomas Dobbs posted about the sick kids in a tweet on Tuesday. Initially, he reported that 12 kids were hospitalized, then later corrected his statement. "Please be safe and if you are 12 or older – please protect yourself," he wrote.
The spikes are alarming, particularly because so many people are not doing their part to prevent the rising rates. The Mississippi Department of Health reported that only 47% of the total population of the state has been fully vaccinated. Only 6% of eligible 12- to 15-year-olds had received both doses.
A 47% vaccination rate at this point in the pandemic is pretty dismal. It's nowhere near good enough to keep the virus from continuing to surge. Unfortunately, it's impacting kids, many of whom are too young to get their shots due to the negligence of adults who can.
We don't yet know the ages of the kids. We only know that some of them are seriously ill. The delta variant is known to be a highly dangerous strain of the virus.
Dobbs also noted that the majority of the current cases in Mississippi are because of that variant. "Pretty much ALL cases in MS are Delta variant right now," he wrote. He also noted that the "vast majority" of hospitalizations and deaths were in unvaccinated people, but also that the spread has become so rampant that vaccinated people are being impacted, too.
"7% of deaths in vaccinated worrisome – we are allowing too much circulating Delta to reach our most vulnerable," he noted.
Health experts have been imploring people to get vaccinated for months but with the delta variant surging, it's more crucial than ever. The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared on CBS This Morning this week to relay that message, as well. He told host Gayle King that the low vaccination rates we're seeing are just not enough.
He noted that some areas of the country only roughly 30% of eligible individuals have gotten their shots. "You've gotta do much better than that," he told her.
It's not only frustrating to see that so many people aren't yet vaccinated, but it's frightening, too. That's especially true because about half of people who haven't yet gotten their shots say that they don't plan to.
Clearly, there is so much misinformation about COVID-19, as well as the safety of the vaccines.
For parents who are doing everything they can to protect their kids who aren't yet eligible to receive their vaccines, it's a truly scary time. Hopefully, news of vulnerable populations, as well as young kids being hospitalized, will prompt more people into doing what they can to protect others. The best way to do that is to get vaccinated.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
