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American Academy of Pediatrics published new Covid-19 guidelines for schools On Monday, we recommend everyone over the age of 2 wear a mask this fall, even if they have been vaccinated. Exceptions can be made for those with medical or developmental conditions that make wearing masks difficult, the group said.
Universal masking recommendation, guide published Guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which earlier this month recommended wearing masks in schools only for unvaccinated people older than age 2, largely implied that fully vaccinated children and adults don’t need to wear masks in the classroom – they also said. individual schools were free to apply universal mask guidelines.
However, in many other ways, the two sets of guides are similar. The AAP, like the CDC, stressed the importance of returning to face-to-face learning.
Chairman of the AAP School Health Council, Dr. “We must prioritize getting children back to school with their friends and teachers, and we all play a role in making sure that happens safely,” Sonja O’Leary said. said in a statement.
Like the CDC, the AAP has proposed a “layered” approach that combines several measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. In addition to universal masking, these measures include vaccination, improved ventilation, virus testing, quarantines, and cleaning and disinfection, the group said.
The AAP gave several reasons for its recommendation for universal masking.
The group noted that many students are too young to be eligible for vaccines that are only allowed for those 12 years and older. And universal masking can reduce the overall transmission of the virus and help protect the unvaccinated.
The group also expressed concern that more infectious virus variants and vaccination rates in the surrounding community may be low, increasing the risk of outbreaks in a particular school. The AAP also recommended universal masking because it can be difficult to verify whether individual students or staff have been vaccinated.
Some state and local officials have already announced that they will not require universal masking in the fall, and at least eight states prohibited such powers.
AAP guidance fell short of explicitly recommending vaccine instructions, but said they may eventually be needed. “Schools may need to collect Covid-19 vaccine information from staff and students, and schools may require Covid-19 vaccines for face-to-face learning,” the guide said.
The AAP has also encouraged families to ensure that students catch up on any other childhood vaccines they may have missed during the pandemic.
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