Intro

In the next few weeks, millions of children will head back to school. Many of them are too young to be vaccinated. At the same time, children are being hospitalized with COVID-19 in small but growing numbers — and approaching rates higher than the winter surge.

Dr. Marcos Mestre with Niklaus Children's Foundation Hospital in Miami told NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday many of the children his hospital is treating come from families with unvaccinated parents or caretakers.

Unlike last year, many schools will have no remote learning option this fall. While some may have mask mandates, a handful of Republican governors — including Florida's Ron DeSantis — have issued executive orders banning those mandates. NPR's Pien Huang surveyed experts about how to keep children safe during the delta surge. Read more coverage from the NPR science desk here.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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