LONDON – Though the United States saw a record increase in COVID-19 infections among children early this month, their rate of vaccination lagged, The Guardian has said.

Nearly a million new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in children in the country in the week ending Jan. 13, up 69 percent from the week before and four times higher than last winter’s peak, the British newspaper reported on Thursday, citing data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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However, it added, only 18.8 percent of kids aged five to 11 and a little more than half of 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Although Covid complications for children are rarer than for adults, they still happen, and more cases means more chances for kids to become seriously ill,” the newspaper said.