Merced County reports first child death due to COVID-19 since start of pandemic
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The Merced County Department of Public Health confirmed the first pediatric death due to COVID-19 in Merced County on Wednesday.
The specific age of the child wasn’t given, and it was an infant with underlying health conditions, according to a news release.
“While each life lost as a result of this virus is tragic, the loss of a child is felt across our entire community,” said Dr. Salvador Sandoval, Merced County’s Health Officer.
“Our condolences go out to the family and to the many families that have suffered loss related to COVID-19. The best approach we can take to protect the children who cannot get vaccinated in our community is to get vaccinated ourselves.”
Merced County has seen a rise in infections with children 17 years and under during the latest surge.
As of Tuesday, there are around 1,898 active cases in Merced County with about 25% of those cases being identified as children. During previous surges, only 11% of cases were identified in the age group of 0 to 17 years old.
Vaccines are available for ages 12 and over in Merced County at provider sites, including health care offices, community clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals, according to the release.
The department of health advises people interested in receiving the vaccine to visit Myturn.CA.gov or to call 1-833-422-4255.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Merced County reports first child death due to COVID-19 since start of pandemic."
