In the pandemic that keeps on going, Omicron’s infectiousness means most kids and families will be exposed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be prepared. Here are things you can do to protect your kids and your community amid Omicron’s surge.
Vaccinate your kids if they?re eligible
?Vaccination is the most effective intervention right now to reduce severity of COVID-19 infections and prevent complications, including Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children,? says Jennifer Kwan, a family physician in Burlington, Ontario. MIS-C is a rare but serious inflammatory condition which can be life-threatening, and unvaccinated kids who get COVID-19 are at increased risk. COVID-19 infections in children may also trigger new onset diabetes or symptoms of long COVID.  While some parents have been hesitant to vaccinate their children?even if they themselves are vaccinated against COVID-19?there are exponentially more benefits to vaccination than risks, says Janine McCready, an infectious disease specialist in Toronto. ?In the U.S., we?ve now seen 8.7 million doses in the 5 to 11 age group with very low rates of any serious adverse effects. There were 12 reported cases of myocarditis and when they looked at the data, none had been admitted to hospital and 8 had fully recovered.? In Canada, nearly 500,000 vaccine doses have been given to kids aged 5 to 11 to date with no reports of severe reactions and no children admitted to hospital as a result of the vaccine...