COVID Outbreak at Summer Camp in Illinois by Unvaccinated Participants

The outbreak of COVID-1

9 at a summer camp in Illinois is a warning that young people are at risk from not being vaccinated. health officials said

Eighty-five teens and adult staff at a youth summer camp in central Illinois tested positive for the virus and one adult was hospitalized, according to the Illinois Department of Health. The camp does not monitor the vaccination status of the participants and does not require masks indoors.

Although everyone in the camp is eligible for vaccination. But only a handful of people in the camp were vaccinated.

“Most of the 85 COVID-19 cases associated with youth camps are among teenagers,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Gozi Esike. said in a statement

“The perception of the risks to children may seem small. But even if infected with COVID-19 A small amount can cause long-term health problems,” Eisike said. “Infected youth who may not have a serious illness can still spread the virus to others. including those who are too young to be vaccinated. or those who do not have the strong expected immunity to the vaccine.”

More than one camp personnel attended a meeting nearby. This has resulted in 11 more cases, according to the health department. In these additional cases, at least 70% were not vaccinated.

According to state instructions on the operation of youth camps and overnight camps. “It is recommended that everyone aged 12 years and over be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible to avoid the spread and spread of COVID-19.”

Illinois was slightly above the national average for vaccinations. As of Monday, 59 percent of residents received at least one dose and 46 percent had been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By comparison, 54% of Americans were vaccinated at least once, and 46% were fully vaccinated.