Arkansas Children Are Becoming Sick Like Never Before During COVID Pandemic

As Arkansas is experiencing a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases, with more than 2,800 new cases reported Thursday, kids are being impacted like never before in the pandemic. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was especially concerned about the increase in pediatric cases while announcing he was reinstating a public health emergency for the state.

Only people who are 12 and older can get vaccinated, which is a concern as schools are only a few weeks away from starting a new academic year. The latest variant is making a growing number of children sick, with Arkansas Children’s Hospital this week reporting its largest number of patients with COVID-19.

Hutchinson said Thursday there were 24 children being treated at the hospital and none had been fully immunized. Half of those, he said, were under 12-years-old and not eligible to be vaccinated.

“That makes the point that they need to be protected, first by decisions of their parents, and then secondly by school boards if they decide to take action in that regard,” Hutchinson said.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-children-are-becoming-sick-never-during-covid-pandemic