Vaccination is helping to protect B.C. children from serious cases of COVID-19, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
BCCDC numbers show a much higher occurrence of COVID-19 in children under age five – the age group too young to be vaccinated – compared to those in the five-to-11 age group. And, among five-to-11-year-olds, case counts and hospitalizations are higher for those children who haven't been vaccinated.
For the period from March 1 to 28, 264 children in the 0-4 age group tested positive for COVID-19, or about 1 in 840 children.
In the 5-11 age group, 52 unvaccinated children tested positive for COVID-19, or 1 in 2,916 children. Among partially vaccinated children – those with just one dose of vaccine – the number testing positive was 1 in 3,044. Among fully vaccinated children, the rate dropped to 1 in 5,331.
(The number of reported COVID-19 cases continues to be an undercount of actual cases, since most British Columbians no longer qualify for COVID-19 testing.)
When it comes to hospitalizations, relatively small numbers of children are seeing cases serious enough to send them to hospital. But, between Feb. 26 and March 25, 18 children in the 0-4 age group were hospitalized, and four ended up in critical care. In the 5-11 age group, just three ended up in hospital – all of those unvaccinated – and none in critical care.
Those numbers appear to be dropping. By comparison, in the period between Feb. 5 and March 4, there were 40 total hospitalizations among children under 12: 33 in the 0-4 age group and seven in the 5-11. Nine children (six 0-4 and three in 5-11) ended up in critical care.
Pediatric vaccination rates stalled in B.C.
Despite the B.C. government's continued messaging in favour of vaccination, B.C. has remained unable to move the needle on pediatric vaccination. As of March 29, just 56% of B.C. children aged 5-11 had one dose of vaccine, and only 37% had two.
That first-dose number hasn't changed in the past three weeks; as of March 8, 56% of B.C. children aged 5-11 had one dose of vaccine. The second-dose rate has climbed from 30% three weeks ago.
Vaccination rates vary widely between health regions, with Vancouver Coastal Health leading the way at 71% for one dose, 53% for two doses. On Vancouver Island, it's 62% with one dose and 43% with two doses, with Fraser Health following at 55% and 35%, respectively.
The lowest rates of childhood vaccination are in the North, at 37% with one dose and 21% with two doses, and the Interior, at 45% and 26%.
What does B.C. data say about COVID-19 outcomes in children?
Here's how it has looked over the past month:
COVID-19 outcomes in B.C. children 0 to 4 (all unvaccinated)
COVID-19 cases: 264*
Hospitalizations: 18
Critical care: 4
Deaths: 0
COVID-19 outcomes in B.C. children 5-11 – unvaccinated
COVID-19 cases: 52*
Hospitalizations: 3
Critical care: 0
Deaths: 0
COVID-19 outcomes in B.C. children 5-11 – partially vaccinated/one dose
COVID-19 cases: 32*
Hospitalizations: 0
Critical care: 0
Deaths: 0
COVID-19 outcomes in B.C. children 5-11 – fully vaccinated/two doses
COVID-19 cases: 18*
Hospitalizations: 0
Critical care: 0
Deaths: 0
*NOTE: In B.C., reported COVID-19 cases continue to be an undercount of actual cases, since most British Columbia residents do not qualify for PCR testing.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
