Kids accounted for more than one-fifth of total COVID-19 cases in the U.S. for week ending Aug. 26, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.Last week, children made up 22.4% of the reported cases. That’s higher than the overall total average of child cases during the pandemic, which is 14.8% of total cumulative cases. The report also noted there was a 9% increase in the cumulative number of child cases from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26. The increase comes as children have begun in-person schooling for the first time since the pandemic began in many cases. The ages that states consider to be a “child” case vary, but children under 12 are currently ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines.In Iowa, for example, 22% of Iowa’s 8,308 COVID-19 cases are reported in children, according to state data released this week.Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday that new studies to be released Friday show hospitalizations in kids were four times higher in states with low vaccination rates in the month of August. “Cases, emergency room visits and hospitalizations are much lower among children and communities with higher vaccination rates. Vaccination works,” Walensky said. COVID-related hospitalization

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