More kids hospitalized with COVID-19 as Omicron spreads: "We need to get child vaccinations up"

As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the U.S., especially in the Northeast, unvaccinated people of all ages are at increased risk — including children. The U.S. is averaging 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations a day, up nearly 30% from last week. 

Health officials say pediatric hospitalizations in New York City rose nearly five-fold from the start of December. Almost all of those children were unvaccinated.

"We need to get child vaccinations up. We need to get them higher than they are, particularly in the 5- to 11-year-old age group," said Mary T. Bassett, the acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Health.