Additionally, the mental and psychological health of children and adolescent 🧒🏽👧🏿🧑🏻‍🦱👩🏽‍🦱 is being significantly affected, which may result in long term consequences.
 
But we know what it takes to address these problems.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

And with each day that children 👦🏻👧🏿🧒🏾 go without in-person schooling, the greater the likelihood they drop out and never return to school – leading to lifelong consequences.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

At the same time, our children continue to face the worst educational crisis we have ever seen in this region 🌎, with millions of children yet to return to the classroom 📚
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

While Haiti and the Dominican Republic are combating ongoing diphtheria transmission that’s threatening children’s 👦🏾👧🏿 growth and development.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

As a result, countries are seeing outbreaks of diseases 🦠 that for years had been under control:

Brazil, for instance, is fighting an ongoing measles outbreak.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

In fact, vaccination coverage has dipped so low ⬇️ that countries are at risk ⚠️ of losing two decades of immunization progress.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

But COVID isn’t the only risk our children 🧒🏽👧🏻👦🏿 face.

Over the last two years, millions of kids across the Americas 🌎 have missed out on their routine medical visits, leaving them behind on their routine vaccinations 🩹
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

Children with comorbidities, like diabetes and asthma, are especially vulnerable.

And while most of these children are recovering and doing well, not all of them are.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

Hospitalizations 🏥 and severe cases are more frequent among children with preexisting diseases and rarely seen among otherwise healthy children.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

And because vaccinated 🩹 adults are well protected against severe disease, most hospitalizations occur among unvaccinated persons – including children 👦🏾👧🏻

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19