What the New CDC Mask Guidance Means for Children Under 12

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Issue new mask guidance Last week, many parents were confused about what to do because it did not include guidance for vaccinated parents who have unvaccinated children.

According to the new guidance, people who are fully vaccinated with Covid-19 can go without a mask in most situations and do not need to stay away from others. However, unvaccinated people should continue to wear masks as usual. That is, the only non-target group of vaccines used in the United States is under 12 years of age.

So should vaccinated parents and older siblings continue to wear masks for younger families? Are young children now less secure in public?

“It’s a dilemma. I have two small children, one and three years old, who haven’t been vaccinated yet,” said Dr. Linawen, a medical analyst at CNN. Told to CNN.. “I understand how my parents feel.”

“Some parents will say,’I have a very low risk of getting sick and then infecting my child, so I want to resume every aspect of my pre-pandemic life,” Wen said. “That’s reasonable. Some others are more cautious, especially if you live in an area with a high Covid-19 infection rate. That’s fine.”

Children under the age of 12 should continue to wear masks in public places, whether or not their parents wear masks, Dr. Yvonne Maldonado I wrote in the article Wednesdays, especially when social distance is not possible. Maldonado is chairman of the Infectious Diseases Commission of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Maldonado Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division Stanford University School of Medicine is currently leading a vaccine trial in children under the age of 12.

According to Maldonado, children can take off their masks when they are with a family member in the same household. They may remove the mask during small gatherings with fully vaccinated family and friends, water sports such as swimming, or activities where masks such as gymnastics can pose a safety risk. I can do it.

Here’s what we know about the factors that children, Covid-19, and parents are considering when understanding how to navigate relaxed restrictions:

What we know about kids and Covid-19

Through a pandemic, children rarely get seriously ill with Covid-19, which still seems to be true, AAP writes: Report published last week..

According to AAP, more than 3.9 million children have been tested positive for the virus in the United States as of May 13. In reported data from 24 states and New York City, children “accounted for 1.3% -3.1% of all reported hospitalizations, and 0.1% -1.9% of all COVID-19 cases of children were hospitalized,” AAP said. Said.

According to the data, death is very rare.

“According to state reports, 0.00% to 0.03% of all COVID-19 cases in children died,” said AAP.

Children account for 0.00% to 0.21% of all reported Covid-19 deaths in 43 states, in addition to New York City, Puerto Rico and Guam, and no child deaths have been reported in 9 states.

And children Fundamental medical condition The CDC said the “high risk of serious illness” from the infection requires continued great attention around others.

Still, the AAP states: “Collect more data on the long-term effects of a pandemic on children, including the long-term physical health of children infected with the virus and the methods that can harm their emotional and mental health. There is an urgent need to do. Health effects. “

Also, even in the absence of symptoms, the child can carry the virus into the respiratory tract (throat and nose) for weeks and quietly spread it to others. Last year’s study showed..

Vaccines are currently being tested in infants

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer / BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 and teens on May 10. General Vivek Murthy, a US surgeon, praised the move as “a really big deal.”

“We know that protecting the health of our children is really a top priority,” Mercy said at this week’s roundtable. “What is more important than that?”

Pfizer and Modana are currently testing vaccines in children under the age of 12. Pfizer may be available to children up to the age of two in September, when the company announced that it plans to apply for an emergency use authorization for the vaccine for children aged 2 to 11.

For younger children, the vaccine may not be available until early next year.

Pfizer is testing the vaccine in 4,644 children aged 6 months to 11 years in the United States and Europe. The company said it expects results later this year.

“If safety and immunogenicity are confirmed and regulatory agreements and approvals are pending, we hope to receive vaccination approval for these young children by early 2022.” Pfizer says. website..

Moderna vaccinated the first volunteers in a study of 6,750 children aged 6 months to 11 years in the United States and Canada, the company said in March.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, the study in young children is an “age escalation” study. That is, the first participant group will be older and the youngest participant in the last group.

“By the end of this calendar year and the first quarter of 2022, it is likely and almost certain that we will have sufficient information on safety and immunogenicity so that children of all ages can be vaccinated. “Fauci said. This week’s White House briefing.

The FDA will discuss the possibility of extending vaccine approval for children under the age of 12 at a meeting on June 10.

However, it is unclear whether parents of toddlers will actually vaccinate their children, especially on social media, as false information about vaccines is rampant.

In a poll conducted in early April, 52% of parents said they were ready to vaccinate their children against Covid-19.

For parents looking for a quality source of information on immunizing their children, the American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting website A good place to get started.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, and vaccine companies are very open and transparent to the American Academy of Pediatrics for all vaccine data. They advocate for our children and parents. Because I know that. Family. ” AAP Maldonado told CNN..

“We are not only pediatricians, but vaccine experts, and we have confirmed the data ourselves in all previous trials. We will confirm additional data,” she said.

What will summer camps and schools look like next year?

Without vaccines for children under the age of 12, summer camps probably require the same care as usual — social distance, wearing masks, washing hands, sharing limited items, and outdoors as much as possible. Maintaining activities in.

It’s almost CDC Guidance For now, it was published in April and is intended to supplement local and / or state regulations.

And autumn school? Relying on face-to-face full-time classes, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Warrensky said:Although most elementary school students are not eligible for vaccination.

“During vaccination, testing and screening, schools can and should be a very safe place for people to return to the fall,” Warrensky told ABC last week. I will. “

However, face-to-face schools may seem like no other place. Unvaccinated children should wear masks and stay away from others. Texas and Iowa, Public school mask obligations are prohibited.

President Joe Biden has prioritized school reopening, and his Covid-19 Economic Relief Package includes “school small-group education, ventilation system updates, social distance expansion, protective equipment purchases, and support staff. Included $ 125 billion to support the employment of.

According to Education Week to track such data At least 7 states Full-time face-to-face learning is already required for the 2021-202 academic year.