ASHEVILLE, NC & ATLANTA, GA – April 25, 2022 – The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in November. Two-thirds of the eligible children have not received their first dose. This is similar to Buncombe County vaccination rates. This age group has received the lowest percentage of COVID-19 vaccinations (at 35% for at least one dose) compared to other age groups in Buncombe County.

A recent CDC study found that children who are unvaccinated are hospitalized for COVID-19 illness two times more frequently than vaccinated children. Nineteen percent of the hospitalizations included being in the intensive care unit. Researchers looked at hospitalizations in 14 states among children ages 5 to 11 during the omicron wave from December to February, according to a report published last week in the agency’s Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates up to 1.5% of all child COVID-19 cases result in hospitalization.

Children with other health problems like diabetes and obesity were more likely to experience severe COVID-19. Researchers found significant health disparities in hospital admissions, particularly amongst Non-Hispanic Black children. This group has higher rates of obesity and diabetes which may play a role.

The risk of vaccine has been shown to be much less than the risk of the disease although health experts say one of the main reasons parents haven’t vaccinated their children is because they don’t feel they need it. A CDC study published in March shows the vaccine is safe in children 5 to 11. They reported no serious adverse events and only mild side effects such as fatigue, headache and fever out of 8 million doses given.

Dr. Andrea Berry, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center said, “The risk of COVID is still significant and so far, the risk of the vaccine is tiny.”

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Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ANN ARBOR, MI – April 1, 2022 – Firearm homicide surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States in 2020, according to a study from the University of Michigan using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A record 45,222 Americans died from firearm-related injuries in 2020 of which over 10,000 (22.5%) were people ages 1 to 19, according to a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Since 1960, motor vehicle accidents had been the leading cause of death of young people. The number has decreased since 2001. Meanwhile, firearm-related deaths have risen since 2013; there was almost a 30%increase from 2019 to 2020.

The main cause of gun-related deaths was interpersonal violence. Jason Goldstick, research associate professor at the University of Michigan and co-author of the letter, told USA TODAY, “The risk of firearmviolence in other countries is not even in the same league as it is in the United States.”

Goldstick said several factors may have contributed to the dramatic increase in deaths among young people. A 2019 study found handgun injuries rise after spikes in handgun purchases. There was an increase in the purchase of firearms after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Patrick Carter, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan and a study co-author, said one reason motor vehicle deaths have fallen is because of new safety interventions despite an increase of cars on the road. These include changing driver behavior, safer vehicles, road improvements and driver education.

Carter said. “What we have seen with firearms is that we haven’t been able to, until just recently, been able to apply that same type of evidence-based research to the problem of firearms.” He promotes the importance of studying gun-safety interventions, like gun training education and finding ways to keep guns away from kids and teenagers, in order to achieve less gun-related violence and fatalities.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC – April 27, 2022 – Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 27 indicate:

• There are 136 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days up 45% from the previous week.
• 66% of the total population have received their full primary vaccination series. This is unchanged for about 2 months
• 61% of people with full primary vaccination series have had at least one booster
• The seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations are less over the past week and ICU patients are 1 more than over the previous week.
• The CDC reports that the risk level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending April 28.
• Wastewater surveillance may provide an early warning before individual testing shows that COVID-19 is spreading. The state dashboard reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load for the Metropolitan Sewer District for Buncombe County is severely increasing for the time period ending April 20^th. The CDC website reports that the rate of change is moderately increasing for the time period ending April 28^th.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Get vaccinated and boosted when eligible.
• People with any COVID symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID should get tested
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.

Save your face masks:

• The risk level may rise with a new variant
• A person at high risk for severe illness should speak with their health care provider
• Mask wearing is recommended for persons with a positive test, having symptoms, or exposure to someone with COVID-19
• Governor Cooper’s executive order on March 1^st says that agencies may require everyone to wear a mask in “high risk” settings like health care facilities, nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]