A few days back, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its new mask guidance, but it did not include guidance to vaccinated parents who have unvaccinated children. Thus, this has left many of the parents in perplexity about what to do.
The new guidelines declared by the CDC mentions that the ones who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 may go without masks in most circumstances and do not have to keep their distance from others. But everyone who is not vaccinated should continue wearing a mask as usual. Thus, that means everyone under the age of 12, the only group not eligible now for any of the vaccines in use in the United States.
So, now the question arises that should vaccinate parents and older siblings continue to wear masks because of younger family members? Are young children now less safe in public spaces?
DR. Leana, a CNN Medical analyst stated, “It’s a dilemma. I have two little children, ages 1 and 3, who can’t yet be vaccinated. I understand how parents are feeling.”
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, mentioned in his one of the article, “No matter if guardians put their masks on or not, but it is advised that the children below the age of 12 should continue to mask up in public places, particularly when social distancing isn’t possible.” Notably, Dr. Maldonado is the chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Some parents will say, “The risk of my getting sick and then infecting my kids is very low, and I want to resume all aspects of my pre-pandemic life. That is something reasonable. Some others are more cautious, especially if they live in areas of high community transmission of Covid-19. That’s also fine.”
Children can take off their masks when they are with family members from the same household, according to Maldonado. They can go without masks at small gatherings with fully vaccinated family members and friends. Also, during the water sports like swimming, or activities, putting on masks can definitely be a safety risk.
