Concern Growing Over Variant Impacts on Kids

WAAY-31's Ashley Carter is live in Huntsville where she spoke with a pediatrician and parent today about their growing concerns over variant impacts on kids.

Continues to make strides when it comes to distrubiting the covid vaccine....there are some growing concerns in regards to covid variants and the effect it has on children.

Waay 31's ashley carter joins us live in huntsville tonight.... she spoke with a pediatrician and parent toay... ashley is this something we should be concerned about here?

Yes health officials are really urging people to not let their guards down because we aren't across the finish line just yet especially with these variants still out there.

Dana azevedo chambers, parent: "it definitely makes you nervous i mean you don't want anything to happen to your children" dana azevedo chambers told even though her and most of her family have been vaccinated...hear ing about covid variants is still something she's concerned about especially since her 15 year old son....who is too young to get the vaccine had health issues as a child.

Dana azevedo chambers, parent: "i think he's still nervous about it, like when you say goodbye to him he always says stay safe."

Even though hospitilizations and cases in north alabama continue to trend in the right direction....more people in europe are being diagnosed and even hospitilized with the highly contagious variant.

Some health officials worry we could see the same in the u-s if we aren't careful and younger populations including children could be the ones at risk since they're age group isn't vaccinated yet...they also say the variant could make children sicker than the sars-2 strain.

Doctor scott field is a pediatrician who over the course of the pandemic has been writing about children and the coronavirus.

He says right now he isn't too concerned with the variants in children....but we should continue to keep our guards up dr. scott field, pediatrician: "i think time is going to tell as far as how much of a problem this is going to be."

He says while rare...children were still getting very sick from the original strain...and it could happen with the variant as well.

He says it's best that everyone including children continue safety measures dr. scott field, pediatrician: "i think the precautions are warranted, so like in schools wearing masks is a good thing right now."