The state health department reports a child under the age of one has died from COVID-19. On Wednesday, the Louisiana Health Department announced 110 deaths, officials say one of those fatalities included a child who did not make it to their first birthday.
According to LDH, it’s the first child to die from COVID in Louisiana in more than six months and 11 children younger than 18 have died from COVID in Louisiana.
State health officials say 31% of newly reported COVID-19 cases were in children younger than 18 and the governor’s office says last week there were 63 pediatric cases of COVID admitted to the hospital.
Everyone age 12 and older is eligible for the COVID vaccine. Physician in Chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans Dr. Mark Kline says clinical trials to make the vaccine available for kids under 12 are ongoing.
“Pfizer may apply for emergency use authorization for children in the 5-to-11 year age group perhaps as soon as October,” said Kline.
Kline says that means the Pfizer vaccine could be available for 5 to 11 year-olds before the end of the year. He says emergency use authorization for this age group can not come soon enough.
“I think all of us in pediatrics are impatiently waiting and hoping that is the case, because we certainly seeing a lot of COVID disease in children in that age group,” said Kline.
Kline believes the COVID vaccines can be as effective in children as adults.
“Could there be an adverse effect in small children that hadn’t been seen in older children and adults and that’s what they are looking for,” said Kline.
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