Children’s COVID-19 infections are rising in Florida and Texas, and many of them are among kids who are too young to be vaccinated

• COVID-19 pediatric hospitalization rates are on the rise in Florida as some kids are too young to be vaccinated.
• More than 40 pediatric patients were hospitalized in Florida on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19.
• Despite the spike in COVID-19 cases among children, Gov. DeSantis banned mask mandates in schools.
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COVID-19 infection rates in children are on the rise in states like Florida and Texas, as some kids are too young to be vaccinated.

More than 40 pediatric patients were hospitalized in Florida on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number to 135 pediatric COVID-19 patients in the state, according to federal hospital capacity data.

Texas is the only state to report more confirmed pediatric COVID-19 patients than Florida, with a total of 142 children hospitalized who tested positive for COVID-19.

An analysis of weekly case data by the Miami Herald revealed that the sharpest increase over the past month has particularly spiked in children under 12. All Florida residents ages 12 and older are eligible to receive a vaccine, leaving kids who don’t meet the age requirement vulnerable to the coronavirus, especially amid a surge in infections due to the delta variant.

Ronald Ford, chief medical officer for Memorial Healthcare System’s Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, told The Hill that, unlike previous waves of the pandemic, more symptomatic cases among children are being admitted to emergency rooms.

“In our previous iteration of the pandemic, it was more they’re positive but they’re not sick or minimally sick,” he said. “This is different. There’s a much higher percentage of pediatric patients becoming infected and symptomatic.”

Despite the spike in COVID-19 cases among children, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has continued to resist calls from public health officials to implement a statewide mask or vaccine mandate.

Last week, the Florida governor signed an executive order prohibiting school districts from mandating masks – a move both celebrated and condemned by parents amid a growing divide in public health opinion. Despite the ban, several school districts still moved forward with such mandates, challenging DeSantis’ threat to withhold funds from school districts if they do.