Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Among School-Aged Children: Are We Doing Enough?

Abstract

What is already known on this topic?The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and associated disparities among some racial and ethnic minority populations has been documented across age groups, including children and teens. What is added by this report?We provide a summary of potential community-based strategies that can be used to address health disparities and educational inequities among minority children and teens that have been exacerbated during the pandemic.What are the implications for public health practice? Evidence-based community health promotion models that center partnerships in a strategic and comprehensive approach may reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and educational inequities due to COVID-19 and advance health equity.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Children Aged 5–11 Years — United States, November 2021

“…To expand COVID-19 vaccine access, additional considerations should be given to demographic groups that have experienced disproportionate COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, as well as those with barriers to routine health care (e.g., members of certain racial/ethnic groups and those living in a rural or frontier area, experiencing homelessness, with a disability, or lacking health insurance). Children from racial and ethnic minority groups have experienced a disproportionally high incidence of COVID-19 as well as secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic such as reduced in-person learning (12). Providing rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for children will necessitate increasing the enrollment of pediatric health care providers into the COVID-19 vaccination program, using the broad geographic accessibility of pharmacies, and † † † https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/COVIDNet/COVID19_3.html § § § https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluview/FluHospRates.html expanding school-focused strategies to ensure vaccination opportunities for a diverse population, as well as engagement with community leaders, pediatric health care providers, and parents or guardians.…”

Out of School Time Providers Innovate to Support School-Aged Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The article “Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Among School-Aged Children: Are We Doing Enough?” described how a shift to virtual schooling strained learning and disproportionately affected school-aged children from racial and ethnic minority groups ( 1 ). The authors identified partnerships between school and community organizations, including out of school time (OST) providers (eg, before school, after school, and summer programming), among strategies to curb inequities in health and education that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated ( 1 ). In this essay, we reflect on how OST organizations exemplified this approach through their responsiveness to challenges that remote learning presented during school year 2020–2021 and how programs continue to support students’ learning and well-being.…”

Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health

“…Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Among School-Aged Children: Are We Doing Enough? ( 8 )…”

“…Children from some racial and ethnic minority groups have a higher prevalence of obesity, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension; were diagnosed more frequently with COVID-19; and had more severe outcomes compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts ( 26 ). In addition, a higher proportion of children from some racial and ethnic minority groups, compared with White children, live in families with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level or in households lacking secure employment ( 8 ). White et al argue that the COVID-19 pandemic reemphasizes the importance of implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes in school systems to support emergency preparedness and recovery, as well as resilience, through collaborations among local health departments, local school systems, and other public and private organizations ( 8 ).…”

“…In addition, a higher proportion of children from some racial and ethnic minority groups, compared with White children, live in families with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level or in households lacking secure employment ( 8 ). White et al argue that the COVID-19 pandemic reemphasizes the importance of implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes in school systems to support emergency preparedness and recovery, as well as resilience, through collaborations among local health departments, local school systems, and other public and private organizations ( 8 ). Topics addressed in this article include disparities in underlying medical conditions and social determinants of health, inequities in social determinants of health, and community-based approaches to reducing COVID-19 disparities.…”