Viewpoints: Why Aren’t Young Kids Getting Covid Vaccine?; Polio Is Back, Thanks To Vaccine Hesitancy
Opinion writers weigh in on vaccine hesitancy, monkeypox, abortion, and teenagers' sleep needs.
The New York Times:
The Abysmal Covid Vaccination Rate For Toddlers Speaks Volumes
You would think that vaccination sites would have been swamped with parents rushing to vaccinate their young children against Covid after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccines for the under-5 age group in June. But as of early August, around 5 percent of eligible children under 5 had received the first dose of the vaccine series. Worse, the number of them being immunized has been decreasing. (Aaron E. Carroll, 8/18)
The Washington Post:
The Emergence Of Polio In New York Is An Emergency. And A Tragedy
Thanks to highly effective vaccines, cases of polio paralysis fell to below 100 in the 1960s. The last case of wild-type polio that originated in the United States was in 1979. My generation of physicians thought we’d never encounter this disease. (Leana S. Wen, 8/17)
Stat:
History Doesn't Have To Repeat Itself With Stigma And Monkeypox
Ricky (not his real name), is a patient of mine: a young, gay man with a gentle soul and well-controlled HIV. He recently went to his local emergency department with a rash on his face, excruciating pain in his abdomen, and bright red blood that filled the toilet every time he had a bowel movement. (Ofole Mgbako, 8/18)
The Washington Post:
California's New Law On High School Start Times Is A Victory For Sleepy Teens
Sleep deprivation is a major issue among teens, so much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics has been calling for later junior high and high school start times since 2014. It’s “an important public health issue,” they said, one with implications not just for safety but for “academic success.” (Helaine Olen, 8/17)
Bloomberg:
California’s Later School Start Times Are A Promising Experiment
California high schoolers returning to class can look forward to a welcome back-to-school gift: more time to sleep. A new state law will require that public high schools start classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., a half-hour later than the national average. The shift has the potential to improve students’ mental health and academic performance — so long as schools commit the time and money necessary to make it work. (8/17)
