Record level of children under five are being hospitalized amid COVID surge

A record level of children under the age of five are being hospitalized amid a climbing COVID-19 infection rate that is fueled by the Omicron variant. The rate of hospitalization for kids under five — who are not yet eligible for the vaccine — is the highest since the pandemic began.

The hospitalization rate among these kids has surged since mid-December to more than 4 in 100,000 children. That's up from 2.5 per 100,000, according to the CDC.

However, the hospitalization rate overall among kids under 18 remains lower than any other age group. They also account for less than 5% of average new daily admissions, the CDC says.