KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More children are getting sick and hospitalized from COVID-19.
Children's Mercy Hospital reported 27 COVID-19 positive patients as of Tuesday, Jan. 4.
"We are the highest we've ever been in terms of hospitalizations for COVID-19 right now in children," Dr. Angela Myers, division director of infectious diseases at Children's Mercy Hospital, said.
She said obesity appears to be an important variable for hospitalizations.
"The most common risk factor from an underlying condition standpoint is obesity. That said, we still see kids who are hospitalized that aren't obese and don't have other underlying health conditions as well," Myers said.
According to the CDC, children under five are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Jenna Fujii and her husband are vaccinated, but since their two children are under five, they prefer to give their children a healthy diet.
"Fresh herbs, greens, beans, ginger, fermented foods, kimchi. We do it all, all the time and no sugar," Fujii said.
Myers said the best protection for children unable to be vaccinated, is for others around them to do so.
"It's not just mom and dad getting vaccinated, but it's the siblings and it's grandparents and aunts and uncles," Myers said. "It's all of the people in their circle of being vaccinated and boosted if they qualify for booster vaccine dose."
