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Greensboro health experts push to get North Carolina children vaccinated

Cone Health's Head of Pediatric Care Dr. Michael Cinoman said even though COVID tends to be mild in kids, increasing vaccination rates among kids will help us all.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A big development to protect children from COVID 19 could be coming.

CBS News reports the FDA could authorize Pfizer booster for kids and teens ages 12 to 15 as soon as next week, as COVID cases soar across the country and vaccination rates remain low.

State health data shows just 20 percent of kids ages five to 11 are vaccinated and less than half of kids and teens age 12 to 17 are too.

Meanwhile, health experts said pediatric COVID hospitalizations are up nearly 30 percent nationwide from last week as cases surge.

One mom told WFMY News 2's Grace Holland knowing her son got his vaccines makes her family feel much safer.

"We feel so much better," Kristina Bell said.

Bell feels relief and gratitude instead of anxiety as COVID cases spike.

"We have something on our side to help fight the virus and it's really reassuring," Bell said.

She vaccinated her five-year-old son as soon as he was eligible, meaning he was fully vaccinated as the holiday season started.

"We were able to see his cousin for the first time since the pandemic because they were fully vaccinated," Bell said. "So it was nice to finally be able to see family at Christmas time."

Others spent the holidays in quarantine or with limited gatherings but Bell's son is in the minority.

Cone Health's Head of Pediatric Care, Dr. Michael Cinoman said even though COVID tends to be mind in kids, increasing vaccination rates among kids could help everyone.

"It reduces the chances of spreading COVID to you, the rest of your family or your friends. It's good for the community, it's good for public health and not the least of which, it's good for your own child," Cinoman said.

Bell knows that first hand because her son caught COVID early last year. His symptoms were mild but said it was not easy.

"I just remember the terror that I felt in February 2021 when he had COVID and we weren't able to get vaccines yet so we were all at high risk," Bell said.

She hopes other parents will vaccinate their kids and even get them boosted if they become eligible.

"This might be something that we need to get every six months, four months and I will do it as long as it's needed," Bell said.

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