When vaccines aren't an option: life for families with children under 12

President Joe Biden has declared the current coronavirus surge a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."

But as the United States confronts its worst moment of the pandemic since the winter, there is a group of 48 million people who do not have the option of getting a vaccine: children younger than 12.

Because a vaccine is not yet authorized for young children and may not be for some time, their families are left in a particularly difficult position heading into this school year.

"Waiting for a vaccine for the under-12 set has started to feel like waiting for Godot," said Dana Gilbert, 49, of Minneapolis.

Her 11-year-old son was born prematurely and has special needs, and a family doctor advised that he not return to school in person until a vaccine is available.

She had hoped that might happen by now. Instead, she is scrambling to find a tutor.

Her plan is to keep him at home until a vaccine is authorized for emergency use or until he turns 12 next year, whichever comes first.

Polls show that a considerable number of parents do not intend to get their children vaccinated even when shots become available. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 25% to 30% of parents with younger children would "definitely not" get them vaccinated. A Gallup poll found that 46% do not plan to do so.

But millions of other families are in anxious limbo, waiting for a vaccine as the delta variant leads to a swell of new cases, including in children.

The timeline for a vaccine for children younger than 12 — initially expected by this fall — appears to have slowed as officials consider safety, effectiveness and dosage. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has indicated that a vaccine could become available "hopefully by the mid-, late fall and early winter." Shots for children ages 5 to 11 are expected first; children as young as 6 months may have to wait longer.

Many parents of children younger than 12 described feeling increasingly desperate, angry and backed into a corner as they reluctantly send their children into the classroom this fall — or resort to drastic actions to keep them safe.

Others are less worried but equally frustrated as they head into another school year marked by pandemic rules. In some cases, mandates are being applied most stringently to young children not eligible for a vaccine.

The data on coronavirus cases in children is imperfect, but by most accounts, serious illness has been rare.

But the delta variant has added a new wrinkle that is not yet fully understood.

More children are now getting seriously sick as hospitals fill up with coronavirus patients, by and large unvaccinated.

Delta is roughly twice as infectious as the original virus, leading to more overall infections, and researchers are seeking to understand whether it is also more severe. One recent study found that delta is more likely to cause hospitalizations. Some children have also developed debilitating long-term cases of COVID, even after initially mild or asymptomatic infections.