CDC report renews calls for young people to get COVID-19 vaccine

(CNN) – New COVID-19 cases continue to go down in the U.S., but top health officials are focusing on another number that’s rising.

A weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows an increase in the number of youths hospitalized with COVID-19 this spring.

“More concerning were the number of adolescents admitted to the hospital who required treatment in the intensive care unit with mechanical ventilation,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

The statistics are renewing calls to get shots in the arms of those aged 12 to 17.

“I want to highlight a specific population that we were hoping will join the tens of millions who have already been vaccinated, and that is adolescents,” Walensky said.

A recent Gallup poll shows two-thirds of U.S. adults now say their lives are at least somewhat back to normal, reflecting a shift in sentiments about the pandemic since the fall.

Walensky, however, said until a young person is fully vaccinated, she recommends they continue to wear masks and take precautions to protect themselves and others.

Copyright 2021 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.