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It’s unclear if the start of school is the cause, but children in Whatcom County are right now of any other age group and than any earlier period.

The current COVID rate for children 5-17 years of age is about 50% higher than the rate for all adults in the county age 18 and older. School-age children account for about 25% all cases in Whatcom County.

The county health department says unvaccinated 12-17 year-olds are testing positive at five times the number of their peers who are vaccinated. Of the residents ages 12-15, about 57% have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine so far, and about 55% of those ages 16 and 17 have had one dose. Vaccination rates across sub-county areas range, as the health department reports, from roughly 30% to approximately 80%.

Like many Western Washington counties, Whatcom County’s total coronavirus cases have leveled off in the past few weeks.

As far as what’s working, the county says preventative measures — vaccination, masking, and quarantine and isolation — are making a difference. Schools also rely on ventilation and disinfection, physical distancing, symptom screening, and testing.

Virologist says it’s ‘not abusive or cruel’ for kids to wear masks at school

Children age 12-18 are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine at this point. Find a vaccine provider though the state’s vaccine locator tool. Whatcom County is also offering pop-up clinics, a list of which can be found . On Thursday, Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 5 to 11.