COVID-19 cases among children have been rising nationwide for two consecutive weeks, according to a Nov. 3 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Nearly 30,000 children in the U.S. tested positive for COVID-19 in the week ending Nov. 3, up about 30 percent from the 23,000 cases reported the week prior. This figure likely represents a substantial undercount, AAP said.
The increase comes as children's hospitals face significant capacity issues amid a surge in patients with respiratory illnesses, and as pediatric COVID-19 vaccination rates lag nationwide.
Data from Kaiser Family Foundation shows pediatric vaccination rates have stalled across all age groups. As of Nov. 3, 3.2 percent of children under 5, 31.8 percent of kids ages 5-11 and 61.1 percent of those 12-17 had completed their primary vaccination series.