President Joe Biden and blue state leaders across the country are vehemently pressing parents to vaccinate their young children for the Chinese coronavirus, despite the fact that coronavirus hospitalization and mortality rates among children are incredibly low.
“Parents of children ages 5 and over: Please get them vaccinated,” Biden pled last week. “Because here’s the deal: Children make up one-quarter of the cases in this country and while rare, children can get very sick from COVID-19 and some can end up, few can end up hospitalized.”
As part of a greater effort to get children vaccinated, Biden publicly praised the fictional Sesame Street character Big Bird for getting the shot:
The characters even held a townhall with CNN, informing children that vaccines are important.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a similar warning to parents this week as well.
“Many kids have died. Sadly, hundreds of children — thousands — have been hospitalized, and as a dad of a child who has been hospitalized several years ago for another illness, I would never wish upon any parent they have a child that ends up in the hospital,” Murthy said during an appearance on CNN, urging parents to “please consider strongly getting your children vaccinated.”
However, missing from the narrative are the realities of the risks in regards to children and the virus.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children have represented 16.7 percent of all cases of the virus in the U.S. cumulatively, but the serious reactions are extremely low.
According to the AAP’s data, among states reporting (24 as well as New York City), “children ranged from 1.7%-4.2% of their total cumulated hospitalizations, and 0.1%-2.0% of all their child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization.”
The mortality rate is even lower among children. Among the 45 states reporting, as well as New York City, Guam, and Puerto Rico, children comprised “0.00%-0.26% of all COVID-19 deaths, and 7 states reported zero child deaths.”
“In states reporting, 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death,” according to the AAP.
However, blue state leaders are continuing to present vaccination as the only answer for children to return to a state of pre-pandemic normalcy.
“If parents do the right thing all over the state, get their kids vaccinated. There will come a time when there’s no reason to wear a mask, that every child is safe. But we need compliance,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said this week when asked about school mask mandates, suggesting that they will not be lifted until parents comply and get their children vaccinated.
“And in some communities it’s stronger than others. So let’s get the kids vaccinated. I don’t have a date,” she added. “I’m not going to prejudge this. There’s no way I can know.”