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Heads Up Parents: COVID-19 Pediatric Hospitalizations Continue to Rise at Three Children's Hospitals In Central Florida

Photo: Chen Lei
Photo: Chen Lei

Central Florida children’s hospitals continue to report increasing numbers of pediatric COVID-19 cases filling beds as hospitalizations surge across the state.
AdventHealth Central Florida says 12 children are hospitalized with COVID-19 at its 16 hospitals across six counties, the most the hospital system has seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nemours Children’s Hospital reports 8 children hospitalized with COVID-19 with 5 in intensive care, and at Orlando Health 9 children are hospitalized with the virus with 1 in the ICU.

Across the state some 194 children are currently hospitalized with coronavirus. 

The surge in Florida's pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations comes at the start of a new school year. Medical experts say these numbers will continue to rise if more eligible people don’t get vaccinated.

Only about 50 percent of Floridians are fully vaccinated, and children under the age of 12 will most likely have to wait until Christmastime to get the shot. 

Florida and Texas now account for 40 percent of all new COVID hospitalizations, in both adults and children, across the US.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.