The coronavirus pandemic isn’t over, especially for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 or children.
Experts are worried the unvaccinated people in the United States are relying on the vaccinated to stay safe from COVID-19, according to CNN. In fact, an unvaccinated person doesn’t have less risk now because case numbers are down. The risk is still high.
- “The work ahead of us Is going to be really challenging because while the people who are fully vaccinated are well protected, we still have to keep on convincing individuals who are not yet vaccinated that they are not safe,” CNN medical analyst Cr. Leana Wen told CNN this week. “The pandemic is not over for them.”
What is the risk for unvaccinated people?
Despite dwindling case numbers and deaths related to COVID-19, there’s a chance an unvaccinated person could still become infected. Without the COVID-19 vaccine or antibodies, the virus can still hurt someone significantly.
- “Alarmingly, the risk of hospitalization among the unvaccinated has more than doubled compared with January, likely because of more contagious and deadlier variants,” according to The Washington Post.
This is an issue that people have to tackle with their children, who also remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently lifted its mask guidance for those who have been fully vaccinated, which opens the door for potentially more spread.
- “As a result, children are increasingly being exposed to maskless, unvaccinated people in public places, further increasing their risk,” according to The Washington Post.
What can we do to stop the pandemic?
Getting vaccinated is a good place to start. Some children can get the COVID-19 vaccine already, as the Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children who are 12 to 15 years old. More recently, Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine is about 100% effective in stopping children 12 to 17 years old, so it would seek emergency approval from the FDA as well.