Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Have fewer than 100 kids aged 5-11 died from COVID-19 annually?

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

By Lisa Freedland

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In the U.S. alone, 385 children aged 5-11 have died from COVID-19 in the two years since the start of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Additionally, 537 children under five years of age have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.

Children under 11 are a small percentage of overall deaths, making up 10% of cases since the pandemic began but 0.1% of deaths.

Children aged 5-11 "are at least as likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 as adults," the CDC reported in November. High transmission rates are explained by frequent interaction with family and schoolmates.

Children are at risk of developing a COVID-19-induced ailment, MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children). Children vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to develop MIS-C.

Experts continue to recommend children receive vaccinations to reduce their risk of severe illness and death.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control CDC COVID Data Tracker

Centers for Disease Control Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Children Aged 5-11 years

American Academy of Pediatrics Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report

Healthline Kids Who Got COVID-19 Vaccine Greatly Reduced Their MIS-C Risk

New York State Frequently Asked Questions About 5 - 11 Year-Olds and the COVID-19 Vaccine

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.