How Does the Omicron Variant Affect Kids and Babies?

If you have a baby or other young children at home, you may be concerned about the latest rapid surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only announced the first U.S. case of the Omicron variant on December 1, 2021, it has now taken hold as the dominant strain in the country, already accounting for about 98 percent of total COVID-19 cases as of January 8, 2022.

"It’s the most infectious virus we’ve seen since measles, with rates doubling every 48 to 72 hours," says Rajeev Fernando, M.D., an infectious diseases consultant at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) field hospitals nationwide and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. 

While COVID-19 infections are typically milder in kids and babies, the spread of the Omicron variant has correlated with a record number of pediatric cases and hospitalizations. Given the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine isn’t yet authorized for use in children under the age of 5, it’s understandable to worry about how the virus might affect your little ones. Here’s what we know right now.

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