According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 cases continue to surge in children across the United States.
This week, data from the CDC shows that the highest rate of infection is among 16 and 17-year-olds, with 34.3% of cases reported in that age range.
Hospitalizations among children are at an all-time high, with data from the CDC showing that children in the U.S. ages 0-17 make up 51,336 admissions through August.
The current 7-day average, calculated for the week of Aug. 19-25, is at 321 daily hospital admissions among Americans ages 0-17 with confirmed COVID-19.
Experts say the highly contagious delta variant largely fuels the rise in cases among unvaccinated people, the Associated Press reported.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, during the week ending July 22, child cases rose from 38,000 to 180,000 during the week ending Aug. 19.
The AAP reported that as of August 19, over 4.59 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic.