From July 5 to July 30, around 5 percent of Covid-19 cases in Hanoi were children aged 0-5, showing that greater numbers of children are getting infected, compared with Vietnam's previous coronavirus waves, according to the Hanoi Department of Health.

The Delta variant's higher transmissibility might explain the higher rates of infection in children. Most of the infected children however were either asymptomatic or mild cases, the department added.

Doctor Phan Huu Phuc with the National Children's Hospital said Monday most children infected with the coronavirus only experience mild symptoms. But there are some severe ones, especially those with underlying conditions or under-developed immune systems.

In Indonesia, where the Delta variant is wreaking havoc on the healthcare system, over 3.2 million people have been infected, with children under 18 accounting for around 12.8 percent. Of the total Covid-19 death toll in Indonesia of over 86,000, about 800 cases were of children under 18, accounting for around 1 percent, Phuc said.

With children accounting for just 0.3 percent of all coronavirus deaths globally, the number of children dying of Covid-19 in Indonesia is nearly three times as much. The coronavirus has also been responsible for nearly half the number of child deaths in Indonesia over the past month.

The higher death rates among Indonesian children might be due to underlying conditions, presence of the Delta variant and the country's strained healthcare system, Phuc said. Recently, several children who had no underlying conditions have also died of Covid-19, he added.

He said parents should step up disease prevention for their children by ensuring they have a balanced diet to bolster their immune systems, practice good hygiene and other coronavirus safety measures.

Vaccination also plays a key role in keeping the coronavirus under control. While children have not been advised to receive Covid-19 vaccine shots, vaccinated adults would help reduce the chance of infection and with a large enough number, herd immunity could be achieved to protect those who could not be vaccinated, Phuc said.