While childhood vaccinations stagnate in some regions of Quebec, the province is experiencing an increase in the number of children hospitalized due to COVID-19.
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According to Benoît Barbeau, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM, this can be explained, among other things, by the fact that 5 to 11 year olds are less vaccinated compared to the rest of the population.
“The simple fact that there are many more people who are infected, obviously we have the equivalent in children, more particularly 5 to 11 years old who are less vaccinated than the general population. They will certainly be more infected than if we were talking regarding the Delta variant, ”explains Mr. Barbeau.
Currently, 58% of 5-11 year olds have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. However, they are barely 1% to be fully vaccinated, according to the most recent government data. Note, however, that an interval of eight weeks or more is recommended between the first and second dose. For immunocompromised children, an interval of four weeks between the two doses is recommended.
Much more contagious than Delta, the Omicron variant appears to cause more complications in young people.
“What some are suggesting is that they may be more prone to complications than before, given that this variant appears to be a little more able to reproduce in the upper parts of the airways,” he says. .
“So in that region, very young children […] suffer a little more from the consequences of the infection, ”he adds.
So, as there are more COVID-19 infections, it’s statistically obvious that the number of hospitalizations is on the rise as well.
“So we are seeing an increase in hospitalizations just because the Omicron variant is very contagious. Suddenly, obviously there are more hospitalizations, even among the youngest, ”notes Benoît Barbeau.
