Fox Information anchor Bret Baier confronted Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky on Sunday, urging her to counter inaccurate claims about kids hospitalized with COVID-19 made by Supreme Court docket Justice Sonia Sotomayor throughout a listening to this week.
The nation's high court docket on Friday heard arguments for and in opposition to President Joe Biden's mandate that America's massive firms should require staff to be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 or take common exams to make sure they don't have the novel coronavirus. Whereas conservative justices appeared skeptical of the mandate, liberal justices—together with Sotomayor—appeared supportive.
Sotomayor confronted vital criticism, nonetheless, after she incorrectly claimed that
"over 100,000 kids" have been severely ailing with COVID-19, with "many on ventilators." Authorities knowledge truly confirmed as of January 8 that just a few thousand kids have been hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19—as some awaited the outcomes of a laboratory check.
Baier, whereas internet hosting Fox Information Sunday, confronted Walensky with Sotomayor's inaccurate assertion and urged her to fact-check the misinformation.
"What we will discover from Friday recommend there are fewer than 3,500 present pediatric hospitalizations from COVID-19. Is that true?" Baier requested the CDC director.
Walensky agreed earlier than rapidly shifting the subject to level out that a lot of the hospitalized kids are unvaccinated. "The overwhelming majority of youngsters who're within the hospital are unvaccinated, and for these kids who aren't eligible for vaccination, we do know that they're most probably to get sick with COVID if their relations aren't vaccinated," she mentioned.
The CDC director urged mother and father to get their kids vaccinated earlier than Baier minimize in to reiterate his level
"Understood, however the quantity isn't 100,000. It is roughly 3,500 in hospitals now," he mentioned.
"It—sure, there are—there are—and in reality what I'll say is, whereas pediatric hospitalizations are rising, there are nonetheless about 15-fold lower than hospitalizations of our older age demographics," Walensky responded.
Baier then requested if she knew particularly what number of kids are at the moment on ventilators resulting from COVID-19.
"I would not have that off the highest of my head, however...I do not imagine there are any in lots of of those hospitals who're vaccinated. So, actually, the best danger of being on a ventilator in case your youngster is if you happen to're unvaccinated," she responded.
Later within the interview, the Fox Information anchor reiterated his concern with Sotomayor's inaccurate assertion. "And do you're feeling accountability because the CDC director to right a really large mischaracterization by one of many Supreme Court docket justices?" he requested.
"Yeah, here is what I will let you know. I will let you know that, proper now, 17—if you happen to're unvaccinated, you are 17 occasions extra more likely to be within the hospital and 20 occasions extra more likely to die than if you happen to're boosted," Walensky responded. "And so, what my accountability is, is to supply steering and proposals to guard the American individuals. These suggestions strongly advocate vaccination for our kids above the age of 5 and boosting for everybody above the age of 18 in the event that they're eligible."
As The Washington Put up reported, since August 1, 2020, slightly below 83,000 kids have been hospitalized within the U.S. because of the novel coronavirus. CDC knowledge reveals that as of January 6, some 823 kids (ages 0 to 18) have died from COVID-19.
COVID vaccines have not but been granted approval for kids underneath the age of 5. As of January 7, knowledge compiled by The New York Instances confirmed that 66 % of youngsters aged 5 by way of 11 have been totally vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19. Of youngsters aged 12 by way of 17, some 71 % have obtained each doses of a vaccine.
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