Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announcement.
A girl under the age of 10 who lived in the Lakewood region died of COVID-19 on Jan. 30. She is the first COVID-19 death under 18 reported in Pierce County.
The girl had multiple underlying health conditions.
“This sad news of this young girl’s death reminds us that we need to use all the best public health practices to protect each other from COVID-19,“ said Director of Health Anthony L-T Chen, MD, MPH. “COVID-19 will continue to be with us for some time. Making healthy choices and getting vaccinated are the best ways to help our community recover.”
Children are usually at less risk from COVID-19 than older people, but they do sometimes get seriously ill or even die. Children ages 5-11 are the least-vaccinated group of eligible people in Pierce County. Only 19% are fully vaccinated. Kids 5 and older are eligible to get vaccinated and everyone 12 and older should get booster shots. You can find your child’s dose at tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture.
We report COVID-19 deaths after we receive finalized death information from Washington State Department of Health.
“Lakewood has lost 83 residents to COVID-19, and to lose a young child is an additional tragedy. All of us at the City extend our deepest condolences to the family. Our hearts are broken for you today.”
John Caulfield, Lakewood City Manager
We list the age of people who died by decade, such as under 10 or 70-79. If we listed exact ages, it would provide potentially identifiable health information.
In Pierce County, people who have not been vaccinated for COVID-19 have been:
- 3 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19.
- 10 times more likely to be hospitalized.
- 9 times more likely to die.
Vaccines offer protection against more than COVID-19. No matter your age or where you live, learn, work or play, you should make sure your family is up to date on all vaccines.
You can find free immunizations for kids on our website. And it’s not too late to get your flu shot this season.
About Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all people and places in Pierce County. As part of our mission, the Health Department tackles known and emerging health risks through policy, programs and treatment to protect public health. We are one of only 289 accredited health departments in the country and among 6 in the state to have met or exceeded the Public Health Accreditation Board’s quality standards. Learn more at tpchd.org.
It only mentioned she died of COVID. So what was her many underlying health issues that was not mentioned.
That is not information that should be made public, it’s confidential to maintain the privacy of the child. The fact is that sadly she died from contracting Covid-19,the probability is that she would still be alive even with “underlying issues”. This is a very very sad occasion.
Without wishing to diminish in any way the sadness of the death of this child, it would useful to know whether the death certificate indicates COVID as the “cause” of death or as a “contributing factor” to the death (“from” COVID vs. “with” COVID). The professionals at WADOH should be fully aware of the intense controversy surrounding this question in the reporting of COVID deaths. The citation indicates many co-morbidities may have been contributing to, or actually being, the cause of death.