Over 4,000 children hospitalized with COVID-19 in US: tally

WASHINGTON

Over 4,000 children have been hospitalized across the US with COVID-19-related symptoms, data released by the Washington Post newspaper on Thursday indicates.

The data showed an historic level of adolescent hospitalizations as the omicron variant continues to lead to record-highs in caseloads that have stressed the American healthcare system. Cases have more than doubled in the less than two weeks since Christmas Day when they sat at under 2,000.

Many families and friends gathered for the holiday, as well as the New Year, and experts have warned of a likely surge in cases following the holiday season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized on Wednesday Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots for children aged 12 to 17 with Director Rochelle Walensky saying "it is critical" for the age group to get the shots to protect from severe COVID-related disease.