Hospitals including Akron Children's continue see a rise in COVID-19 cases in children. Local doctors say kids ages 11 and under who are too young for the vaccine are one of the most at-risk groups.

"The #1 action we could do to eliminate the spread to kids and other adults at risk is for anyone who's eligible to get the vaccine," said Dr. James Kravec, Chief Clinical Officer with Mercy Health. "That is the end game."

As the upcoming school year approaches, Dr James Kravec and Dr. John Cox both agree the spread can be limited if parents, teachers and kids who are old enough get vaccinated.

"That will protect the kids because there will be less virus in the community, less chance of spread and less chance of mutation," Kravec said.

"The adults in the room are the ones that could help this," said Dr. John Cox, a Pediatrician in Canfield. "The more adults that get vaccinated and get over some of the misinformation that's being put out there, it's up to the adults to care for the kids."

Another way to keep unvaccniated kids safe involves using the old school approach.

"If you have a child that is sick or a family member that is sick, you might want to consider keeping those kids from going out in public," Cox said. "You make sure they are washing their hands very well and you make sure they are coughing into their arms."

"Not trudging through and going to work or school sick will help," Kravec said. "So, I think if we all did that and stayed home with whatever was wrong with us, we'd have much less spread of communicable disease."

Cox added if there is an outbreak within a school, that is when a mask mandate should be implemented.