There is a viral disease
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (
Where most infections are mild, asymptomatic
With a very low fatality rate
And large age gradient: kids are even lower risk than adults
And less than 1% of kids have any serious complications at all
Yup
Polio
And we vaccinate against it) November 8, 2021
I've felt all pandemic that we've framed the coronavirus and coronavirus vaccination in kids in relation to adults and as a result have completely lost our bearings. Yes it is true the virus is much more serious in adults, but it isn't risk-free for kids. Also they are infected at the same rate as adults and can efficiently transmit the virus.
If we compare the coronavirus to other viruses I think we regain our bearings on how to properly approach this subject in regards to kids.
Jha is exactly right here with his Polio comparison.
~95% of infections of Polio are asymptomatic. Only ~0.5% of infections are paralytic Polio. The IFR of Polio is ~0.05%. It is much deadlier in adults than kids. The R0 is ~4.
Poliovirus is eliminated in the US and nearly the entire globe. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the two countries where Poliovirus is still endemic. But we still vaccinate kids against it to maintain herd immunity and prevent it reestablishing itself. And our Polio childhood vaccination rates are quite good in the United States: ~93%!
When you are going to minimize COVID in children or suggest child vaccination isn't necessary, consider if you'd use the same logic and arguments for other childhood diseases. Consider how much your perception is being clouded by the politicization of this pandemic and the severity of the virus in adults