Rise In Child COVID Hospitalizations Prompts Vaccination Plea

NEW JERSEY — There is an urgent need for everyone in New Jersey to get vaccinated as more children are being hospitalized with COVID-19, according to officials.

"Vaccination is the best weapon that we have against this unrelenting virus," said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Monday.

Persichilli noted that physicians around the state are concerned about the rising rate of hospitalizations from COVID-19 and the threat of the highly transmissible delta variant.

On Monday, there were 13 children hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Jersey including two in the intensive care unit.

In January, 0.8 percent of those being admitted to New Jersey hospitals were under the age of 18. Today, it's 2.6 percent with the circulation of other respiratory viruses, said Persichilli.

"Pediatricians are reporting a greater number of sick children than they normally see this time of year," said Persichilli.

Compared to the rest of the county, New Jersey's numbers remain low. However, states with lower vaccination rates, like Florida or Texas, are seeing higher rates of children who are symptomatic with COVID-19 entering hospitals sicker and with more serious symptoms, said Persichilli.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nearly 72,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week of July. That is an increase of 84 percent over the prior week.

Additionally, children are now experiencing long haul or prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and brain fog.

Children who have tested positive for COVID-19 may suffer from multi-system inflammatory syndrome.

"We've had over 130 cases in New Jersey and the children generally recover but that recovery can be slow," said Persichilli. "So all of these developments point to an urgent need for everyone to get vaccinated especially for parents to take their 12 to 17 years olds to be vaccinated as soon as possible."

Along with the vaccine, Persichilli said everyone should also practice all of the other preventative strategies such as washing hands frequently, social distancing, staying home when sick, and getting tested if experiencing symptoms.

Gov. Phil Murphy also issued a strong message to anyone who continues to downplay the spread of the coronavirus among children. Read More: NJ Governor Lashes Out Again, This Time At Mask Mandate Critics

"When they say 'only,' they are saying that they are perfectly willing to accept children landing in the ICU or dying from COVID," Murphy said during a news conference on Monday. "They won't say it out loud, but it's exactly what they are saying, and I cannot be kind about that. It shouldn't come as any surprise that we will reject that in its entirety. We are not going to sacrifice the health of any child, any educator, any family or any community."

On Friday, Murphy said all New Jersey students, educators, staff and visitors must wear face masks in school buildings - regardless of vaccination status - when the new school year begins in September, at least to start the year. Read More: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

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