evidence: A MMWR report on hospitalized children aged 5-11 years with SARS-CoV-2 infections in 14 U.S. states found that during the Omicron wave, unvaccinated children had double the rate of hospitalization compared to vaccinated children. Thirty percent (30%) of hospitalized children had no underlying medical conditions, and children with diabetes and obesity were more likely to develop severe COVID-19. Intensive care unit admission occurred in 19% of hospitalized cases. Increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage among children aged 5–11 years, especially those at higher risk of severe disease, may help prevent hospitalizations and severe outcomes associated with COVID-19. When assessing children, it is important to consider that the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of other infectious and non-infectious conditions, including influenza, other viral upper respiratory infections, streptococcal pharyngitis, asthma and allergies. The lack of specificity of signs or symptoms and the significant proportion of asymptomatic infections makes symptom-based screening for identification of SARS-CoV-2 in children difficult.