This article is a classic example of how the press feeds the fear and paranoia in many.
It really is irresponsible. Bad journalism.
As we look at some of the quotes from the article...lets keep this in mind.
72 million people17 and under. Roughly 350 deaths in this group since covid began. Remember that as you read the following panic porn.
"The timing of the latest COVID-19 surge isn’t great for children. Millions have already started the school year, the rest will do so in the coming weeks, and COVID-19 vaccines aren’t yet available for the 50 million Americans who haven’t reached their 12th birthday."
Remember...millions went to school last year when there wasn't a vaccine for anyone. What happened to the kids? Nothing. There was a lot of panic porn regarding that.
"Vaccine availability will not bring this pediatric outbreak to a halt. But it will help curb the spread of the virus for everyone, and give many families a better sense of how to plan for the future. To that end, as we hurtle toward the fall, parents, teachers, and pediatricians are eager to know when, exactly, the youngest Americans will have a shot at getting a shot."
Why exactly are we EAGER? What exactly is the risk we are worried about?
"Critics of the agency, including the leadership of the American Academy of Pediatrics, argue that this demand for more participants will make the authorization process drag on for longer than necessary, prolonging the harm caused to kids by not offering them the vaccines."
Remind me again. What is the harm kids have been experiencing so far?
"Vaccines for the under-12s simply aren’t going to eliminate the anxiety around the back-to-school season."
Emphasizing FEAR again. Not once in the article does the writer point out actual data showing kids have essentially ZERO RISK.
"In the meantime, the strategies we’ve learned to use throughout the pandemic will keep kids safer. "
No the strategies didn't make a difference. Kids are safe.
It is articles like this one that keep a substantial portion of the population in a state of fear. Devoid of data, but full of scare quotes and words.
A few things still need to happen before the shots can be authorized for Americans younger than 12.
www.theatlantic.com