With the back-to-school season upon us, families are stocking up on school supplies, shopping for back-to-school clothes, and juggling new schedules for the year ahead. One item parents should put at the top of their back-to-school to-do list is ensure their children’s COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are up to date—for while generally under control, this disease that has so ravaged our communities and families is by no means eliminated. Continued vigilance is essential, particularly for certain states, and communities of color, which still face disparities regarding these and other critical vaccinations.
Throughout the pandemic’s arc, there have been significant racial disparities in COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Black, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities have faced the most severe health impacts of COVID-19. With the development of immunizations, these disparities have somewhat narrowed. However, there remains a vaccination gap that we must work to overcome, as for example Black and Hispanic Americans are roughly half as likely as their white counterparts to have received an updated COVID-19 booster shot.
Low vaccination or booster rates are not just a problem among communities of color; they also remain prevalent among certain states, including West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida—three out four of which rank among the 10 poorest states in the country. As a nation, we must continue to address the health care inequities that leave low-income Americans and communities of color at greater risk of exposure, risk, and death due to a wide variety of diseases—not limited to COVID-19. Closing the gaps in access to basic healthcare services, including vaccinations, is critical as we continue to recover, rebuild, and rethink health equity in the years to come.
These efforts must include more focus on our children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all children 6 months old and older get the COVID-19 vaccination authorized for their age, including the booster doses, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Unfortunately, vaccination rates among children of all ages lag far behind these medical recommendations. For children ages 6 months to 4 years old, only 13% have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide. That leaves nearly 15 million in this age range completely unvaccinated, drastically increasing their risk of severe COVID-19 infection and possibly death. Meanwhile, just 39% of children ages 5 to 11 years old received at least one shot. While this figure rises to 68% for adolescents 12 to 17 years old, one-third of this group is left more susceptible to the virus because they are left unvaccinated.
Overall, there is still much room for improvement, particularly at the primary school level and younger. As an educator and administrator, I can attest to the importance of protecting young people of all ages by ensuring they have been vaccinated and are up to date with any necessary boosters. Not only does the vaccine help prevent children from catching COVID-19 and other transmittable diseases, it also helps reduce transmission of viruses in the classroom—which, as any teacher who’s been working over the past few years can tell you, can spread like wildfire.
Of course, keeping children vaccinated helps ensure students can stay in the classroom and participate in the everyday learning activities and extra-curricular programs they need and enjoy—instead of needing to quarantine at home with their parents or guardians. Immunization helps protect the health and safety of entire communities, including older and immuno-compromised individuals who face the greatest risks, particularly those associated with COVID-19.
So as American families continue to prepare to return to school this month, understanding the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines and ensuring their children are up to date should be a top priority. It is not only the right thing to ensure educators, school staff, and communities are kept safe, but more importantly, it is the best way to protect the health and wellbeing of our children.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and educator based in Washington, DC. She is President Emerita of Bennett College and served as the inaugural Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State Los Angeles.
