Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

It's been a heck of a cold and flu season, which many parents of school aged children can attest to. There is also new and emerging strains of COVID mixing in with the sniffles and coughs.

Dr. Theresa Whited with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, says its never too late to talk vaccines with your child's primary physician.

"It has become a very politicized conversation, but I would still recommend that parents trust their pediatricians, trust their pediatric nurse practitioners and other providers. They're really giving recommendations based on the evidence and what is out there and what we know is best for kids, and what is best to prevent complications," says Dr. Whited.

"We have seen so many vaccine successes throughout the year, such as the Hib vaccine, the MMR vaccine and others, that we still very much encourage vaccination."

The NAPN reports the latest numbers underscore that no child is immune to the risks of COVID.

· Children 6 months to 23 months are at higher risk for hospitalization.

· 58.9% of children hospitalized for COVID-19 had one or more underlying medical conditions, including asthma/reactive airway disease, neurologic disorders, obesity, chronic lung disease excluding asthma, and feeding tube dependence.

· 25.2% had severe disease requiring ICU care, which may include ventilatory support and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

· 96.2% of children hospitalized for COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated.

While Dr. Whited believes all vaccines are safe, she acknowledged vaccines are a personal decision. Infants, children with underlying health conditions and older adults remain most at-risk of flu, COVID and other seasonal illness.

Click the link below for more information.