Coronavirus cases, daily hospital admissions and intensive care unit use in the Austin area are all down since last week, and the area remains in stage 3 of Austin Public Health’s risk-based guidelines.
Numbers have declined the most among older populations, since they are more likely to have been vaccinated by now. But hospitalizations in the area for people ages 10 to 19 rose over the past week.
After the Food and Drug Administration expanded eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to kids ages 12 to 15 on Monday, Austin’s chief medical director is encouraging parents to find a vaccine for their children.
“I can tell you that last night and this morning I’ve been looking for Pfizer vaccines for my 15-year-old son,” Dr. Mark Escott told a joint meeting of Travis County commissioners and the Austin City Council on Tuesday.