Covid Surges Keep Kids From School; Just 1 In 3 Adolescents Are Vaccinated

Fox News: One-Third Of US Adolescents Vaccinated Against COVID-19 As School Begins
Federal data indicates one-third of adolescents aged 12-15 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as the school year gets underway amid rising infections and a divide over mask mandates. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), noted the figure during an interview Monday, after he was pressed over the issue of yet-approved vaccine among younger children under 12 amid spread of the highly transmissible delta variant. Collins told CNBC co-hosts that use of the vaccine in kids younger than 12 is under careful review along with ongoing studies. Kids aged 12-15 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, however. (Rivas, 8/23)

CIDRAP: Most Youth Would Consider COVID-19 Vaccination, Survey Says
A US text message survey for ages 14 to 24 found that almost three out of four were interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a JAMA Health Forum research letter late last week. The open-answer survey was sent out Mar 12, and demographics were matched with US national demographics such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, and region of the country. The mean age of respondents was 19.3 years. Not every participant answered all five questions, but most (1,074 out of 1,155) answered at least one. (8/24)

AP: Students' Lack Of Routine Vaccines Muddies Start Of School
The vaccinations that U.S. schoolchildren are required to get to hold terrible diseases like polio, measles, tetanus and whooping cough in check are way behind schedule this year, threatening further complications to a school year already marred by COVID-19. The lag was caused by pandemic-related disruptions last year to routine doctor’s visits, summer and sports camps at which kids usually get their immunizations. Now, pediatricians and educators are scrambling to ensure that backlogs don’t keep kids from school or leave them vulnerable to contagious diseases. (Smyth, 8/23)

KHN: Headed Away To School? Here’s What Students With Health Issues Need To Know
College is a time of transition, but for those managing chronic medical conditions, it may also be the first time they will be wholly responsible for their own health: setting appointments, securing supplies and pharmaceuticals, and monitoring symptoms. For those heading to schools far from home, it can be especially tricky navigating the complex world of insurance to pay for such crucial care. Coverage networks from back home might not cover a patient’s new doctors or a trip to an urgent care clinic. New plans may not cover the same medicines or procedures. (West, 8/24)

On surges in schools —

Indianapolis Star: COVID In Schools: More Than 3,500 New Student Cases Reported
More than 3,500 positive tests for COVID-19 in Hoosier students were reported to the Indiana State Department of Health last week. The number of cases among students continues to multiply. This week's student cases are more than double the number of newly reported cases in students in last week's state dashboard update, which was four times the number reported the week before that. Schools report positive cases among students, teachers and staff members who have been on school grounds to the state. The state updates the public-facing dashboard each Monday at noon. (Slaby, 8/23)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: More Than 4,600 New Orleans Students, School Staff Quarantining Due To Possible COVID Exposure
The number of New Orleans public schools students and staff members quarantining due to possible exposure to the coronavirus surged again last week, to 4,657, and the school district is tracking 453 "active" COVID-19 cases, the latest numbers released by NOLA Public Schools show. With all New Orleans public schools now back in session, the numbers reflect the first full week in the classroom, NOLA Public Schools said in a news release later Monday evening. (Warren, 8/23)

Newsweek: Nearly 2,000 Georgia Kids Diagnosed With COVID Each Day Amid Delta Surge
Georgia has been amongst the southern states hit hard by COVID-19 resurgences in the past few weeks, and now it appears that children are being more heavily affected, according to the Georgia Department of Health. New data from the department shows that nearly 2,000 children ages 0-17 have tested positive for COVID-19 per day in the Peach State recently. This is based on the age group's average number of daily cases over the last week, which is 1,823. School districts in Atlanta, the largest metro area in the state and one of the largest in the country, have reported over 13,000 positive cases overall among students, both kids and teens, since the 2021-2022 school year began. (Kika, 8/23)

On schools' response to covid —

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Schools Plan To Spend $2.9 Million On Air Purifiers To Combat Wildfire Smoke, Coronavirus Risk
Classrooms in San Francisco public schools that open their windows to curb the spread of the coronavirus may soon get more portable air cleaners to keep kids from inhaling unhealthy smoke from wildfires — a step that some parent groups welcomed but said was long overdue. The San Francisco Unified School District on Monday announced a plan to spend $2.9 million on air purifiers, saying that only a fraction of its classrooms have them. If the school board approves the purchase, up to 3,750 machines would be distributed on a rolling basis as soon as possible, according to district spokesperson Laura Dudnick — covering all classrooms but not all offices. (Hwang, 8/23)

Fox News: California School District Removes COVID-19 Test Blood Drawn Language After Parents Pressure
A California school district removed blood drawn language from its COVID testing consent form for students after an outcry from parents. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) sent out an email to parents Sunday night asking them to sign a consent form regarding COVID tests for their children – regardless of vaccination status. The original form read: "I authorize this COVID-19 testing unit to conduct collection and testing for COVID-19 through a saliva collection, nasopharyngeal swab, anterior nares swab or blood draw, as ordered by an authorized medical provider or public health official." (Betz, 8/23)