Covid 19- Pfizer Covid vaccine may not protect against infection in kids - by Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine offer almost no protection against coronavirus infection in kids ages 5 to 11, according to new data posted online — a finding that may have consequences for parents and their vaccinated children.

Researchers from the New York State Department of Health found that the vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 12 percent from 68 percent in the age group in December and January, when the omicron variant of the coronavirus began circulating widely in the United States.

Read more at:Pfizer Covid vaccine may not protect against infection in kids

USA: CDC approves Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in the U.S.

.S. health officials on Tuesday gave final approval to Pfizer's kid-sized COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as five.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already authorized the shots for children ages five to 11 — doses just one-third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.

The announcement by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky came only hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer's shots should be opened to the 28 million youngsters in that age group.

Read more at: CDC approves Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in the U.S. | CBC News

Coronavirus Cases: U.S. child COVID-19 cases continue to rise as kids return to school

Children represented over 20 percent of weekly COVID-19 cases in the United States by the end of August, according to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

A total of 203,962 child COVID-19 cases were reported in the week from Aug. 19 to Aug. 26, accounting for 22.4 percent of the weekly reported cases in the country, said the report.

Over two weeks from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26, there was a 9 percent increase in the cumulated number of child COVID-19 cases, it said.

Read more at: U.S. child COVID-19 cases continue to rise as kids return to school - Xinhua

USA: COVID and children: Doctors worry about disparities in kids of color

On Thursday, Ana Amira Rivera celebrated her first birthday. But earlier this month, her mom worried her baby girl wouldn’t make it.

Ava woke up one night in early August with a fever and seizures. Estefani Lopez rushed her to the emergency room, where her daughter stopped breathing, going limp in her arms. The otherwise health baby was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Read more at: COVID and children: Doctors worry about disparities in kids of color

REFUGEES : UNICEF Report Finds Half of All Refugees Are Now Children - by Alexander Smith

Children now make up nearly half of the world's refugee population, according to a new report from the United Nations children agency.

The report published Wednesday comes not long after the image of a bloodied 5-year-old named Omran Daqneesh refocused international attention on the conflict in Syria, which has created millions of refugees.

"We must not forget that each child, each picture, represents many millions of children in danger at home — and many millions of children who have left their homes," the UNICEF report noted.

Read more: UNICEF Report Finds Half of All Refugees Are Now Children - NBC News

US firearms industry marketing guns to children says report from Violence Policy Center

NRA strikes again: marketing gun sales tochildren

The American firearms industry is targeting children as young as six with brightly colored guns and encouraging parents to let children take up shooting at an early age, according to a new report.

The Violence Policy Center, which aims to stop gun violence, said in its report that gun manufacturers are marketing to the youngest consumers because their primary market -- white men -- is aging.

"The firearms industry has set its sights on America's children. Much like the tobacco industry's search for replacement smokers, the gun industry is seeking replacement shooters," the group said in a statement.

"Along with the hope of increased gun sales, a corollary goal of this effort is the creation of the next generation of pro-gun advocates for future political battles."

Examples of "aggressive efforts" to market to children include rifles made with plastic parts so they are easier to handle, with less weight and recoil, the report said. Some manufacturers sell firearms in a variety of kid-friendly bright colors, including pink for girls.

The report also pointed out that the firearms industry and its lobby want parents to let their children "access guns at the earliest possible age."

The National Rifle Association, the main gun lobby in the US, previously had a website for its junior members, divided into "Under 8" and "8 and Up," the Violence Policy Center said.

Now called "NRA Family," the website's content includes a 2014 article reviewing the Thompson/Center HotShot youth rifle, calling it "a tiny gun intended for the very youngest shooters -- the ultimate first gun."
The article cited the manufacturer as saying the rifle is targeted to kids aged six to 12.

Gun violence is rife in the US, where a third of children live in a household with at least one weapon, according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety. Its statistics show that seven children and teens are killed with guns in the US on an average day.

Read more: Flash - US firearms industry marketing to children: report - France 24