“Don’t be afraid, dear. Don’t be afraid. You’ll be fine, and we’ll make sure that Mommy is fine too,” he said.
Jessica Salas, a graphic designer from Milwaukee, told Biden that her two young children often ask her if they are going to get Covid-19 and die. She stood by her 8-year-old daughter while talking about how the pandemic is especially scary for children who don’t fully understand what’s going on.
“Children don’t catch Covid very often. It is unusual for that to happen. They don’t – the evidence so far is that children are not the people most likely to catch Covid,” said Biden.
Salas said his children would like to know when they will be able to get the vaccine, but Biden said: “We haven’t even tested children yet to see if certain vaccines would work or not or what is needed.”
Although fewer children have serious illnesses caused by the virus than adults, an issue that has become big, especially for those struggling to decide whether to reopen schools and day care centers, is exactly the role that children play in the transmission of the virus.
In addition, Biden said, “I think we should vaccinate teachers. We should move them up the hierarchy as well.”
At least 28 states and Washington, DC, have started allowing all or some teachers and school staff to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Although some states have announced that they are prioritizing teachers, vaccine availability remains a concern across the country.
There are 22 states where teachers are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine as a specific group – although some educators may fall within the current age group that the state is vaccinating.