WHO Europe: Children 5-14 years old have highest COVID rates

GENEVA – The World Health Organization’s office for Europe said on Tuesday that children aged 5 to 14 now represent the highest rates of COVID-19 infection reported in the region.

WHO Europe Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge also argued that immunization warrants should be “an absolute last resort”, and said deaths from COVID-19 remain “significantly lower than previous peaks “. But he said coronavirus cases and deaths have more than doubled in the past two months in the 53-country region stretching to Central Asia.

He highlighted the continued threat of the widespread delta variant, and noted that the new omicron variant has so far accounted for 432 confirmed cases in 21 countries in the region.

“The delta variant remains dominant in Europe and Central Asia, and we know that COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in reducing serious illness and resulting deaths,” he told reporters from headquarters. WHO Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark. “It remains to be seen how and if the latest worrying variant of COVID-19, omicron, will be more communicable, or more or less severe. “

Kluge urged countries to “protect children and schools” amid the rapid rise in cases among the region’s youth, and said the incidence of COVID-19 was two to three times higher among younger children than the average population in some places. Children tend to face less severe cases than more vulnerable populations such as the elderly, health caregivers and people with weaker immune systems.

“As the school holidays approach, we must also recognize that children infect their parents and grandparents at home, with a 10 times higher risk for these adults of developing a serious illness, of being hospitalized or of dying. if they are not vaccinated, ”he said. “The health the risks go beyond the children themselves.

Kluge has also spoken out against vaccination warrants, saying they should be an “absolute last resort” and only be effective in certain settings.

The WHO European region has been the global epicenter of the pandemic for weeks, accounting for 70% of cases and 61% of deaths worldwide according to the United Nations health agency’s weekly epidemiological report released last week .

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David Keyton in Stockholm contributed to this report.