While the recent COVID-19 surge among all age groups continues to be a concern to health authorities, children under the age of 12 who aren’t eligible for a vaccine have become a focal point.

According to Dr. Pam Hudson, CEO of Crestwood Medical Center, a vaccine for that age group isn’t expected to be available anytime soon. Vaccines are only available to those 12 years old and up.

“It does not look like there will be (a vaccine for under 12) until winter,’’ she said at the weekly COVID-19 briefing at the Huntsville City Council chambers.

In Madison County, there are 199 inpatients in all hospitals with 57 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Of that number, Hudson said, 65% were on ventilators. About 90% of the patients are unvaccinated.

“Almost 100 percent of ICU beds in our community are taken up with COVID patients and 100 percent of our ICU beds are full,’’ Hudson said. “That’s the same across the state of Alabama.’’

The county has experienced a positive virus test rate of 19.2%, compared to 22% statewide, and among children in the county that rate is 27%.

“The Delta variant is making kids very sick,’’ Hudson said. “I mentioned earlier the positivity rate is 27 percent. All you have to do is look at headlines and they’re talking about children and the number of children hospitalized.

“Basically, we’re seeing children very sick and in the hospital.’’

Without a vaccine ready, Hudson said the solution is to simply refer back to original guidelines of masking, distancing and sanitizing. And, she added, those eligible for shots need to get them.

“If you don’t want to (get a vaccine) for yourself,’’ she said, “do it for the children.’’

According to Hudson, 50% of county residents have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and about 70% of residents 65 years and older have been vaccinated.

Dr. Neil Lamb, a geneticist at the HudsonAlpha Center for Biotechnology, described how the highly-contagious Delta variant works.

“You may have heard that people who are infected with the Delta variant may have a 100 to a thousand times higher level of virus in their respiratory system,’’ he said. “This means that someone who is infected with Delta is shedding a significant amount of virus when they breathe, sing, cough, talk, yell.”

This, Lamb added, makes masking and distancing essential to stop the spread of the virus.