This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded May 24, 2021.

To claim credit visit: https://ce.mayo.edu/covid19podcast 

Guest:  Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland) 

Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd)   

The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. continues to decline. However, cases of COVID-19 are increasing in younger populations. 

"It's becoming a childhood disease," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Children have composed over 16,000 hospitalizations for COVID-19 and about 300 have died."

Meanwhile, each day brings fresh research news, including updates on possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

"We're collecting information as we go and have data on about 4.5 million people now," says Dr. Poland. "That's larger than we would have for any other vaccine." 

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland expands on these latest news items and puts the data in perspective. He also discusses vaccination rates, the possibility of mixing and matching vaccines for COVID-19 boosters, vaccination rates, and much more.

AskMayoExpert COVID-19 Resources: https://askmayoexpert.mayoclinic.org/navigator/COVID-19

Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.