15 SA children with Covid in hospital, 36 COVIDKids and 10,880 active cases

The number of children battling Covid in SA hospitals has been revealed and it’s sparked a new call for parents to do their bit to fight the outbreak.

Fifteen children with Covid-19 are in hospital, SA Health has revealed, sparking fresh calls for parents to lift low vaccination rates.

A further 36 are receiving special medical care and attention through the state’s “virtual” support system known as COVIDKids.

There are more than 10,000 active cases of Covid in South Australian children aged 0 to 18.

But less than a third of those eligible aged 5-11 to be vaccinated have received both doses.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said that while Covid was generally mild in children, “it is possible for children to become seriously ill, particularly those with compromised immune systems and pre-existing health conditions”.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

She pointed to US research that showed vaccination provided protection against the omicron variant of Covid in both children and adolescents.

“Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that vaccination reduced hospitalisations by two-thirds in children aged 5-11,” Prof Spurrier said.

“As a paediatrician, I encourage all parents and caregivers to make sure their young ones are vaccinated against this disease.”

COVIDKids offers virtual support including telehealth appointments to children and young people with Covid.

A dedicated Child and Family Health Service nurse consultant leads the team supporting Covid-positive infants and children aged 0 to 5 years and their families throughout the isolation period.

There have been 90,701 cases of Covid in children and adolescents in South Australia to April 6, including 39,775 cases in the 0 to 9 age group and 50,926 cases in the 10 to 19 age group.

Australian Medical Association vice-president Dr Chris Moy, also a GP in Adelaide, said a small proportion of kids infected with Covid experienced “really severe disease” and had to be admitted to hospital.

“There is also a one in 3000 risk of getting this post-infectious multi-system disorder as well … and that can make some kids extremely sick,” he said. “It’s almost like a reaction to the virus that occurs several weeks after the event.”

Dr Moy agreed research had now shown Covid vaccination reduced hospitalisations in children, and “preliminary evidence suggests vaccination also reduces the rate of the PIMS disorder as well”.

He acknowledged the concerns expressed by some parents about vaccine side-effects, but emphasised the risks were low. The slight risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of tissue around the heart) from the vaccine should be compared to a far greater risk of the same heart condition following infection with the virus.

Part of the problem with getting children fully vaccinated was the difficulty booking an appointment at the beginning, when there was a big surge in people who were willing to have their children vaccinated and then the school term got in the way.

“With holidays coming up it’s an excellent time to reconsider getting kids vaccinated,” Dr Moy said.