Pediatrics group contradicts CDC by recommending masks inside schools

• The CDC had stated earlier this month that vaccinated students and teachers need not wear masks inside schools.
• The guidance was contradicted by that of the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, which advised everyone above the age of 2 to wear masks indoors to curb the coronavirus spread.
• The pediatrics group stated that masking is recommended since “a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines.”

Anyone above the age of 2, “regardless of vaccination status,” is advised to wear masks inside schools for the upcoming school year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated on Monday.

The updated guidance contradicts that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which stated earlier this month that vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks inside schools. The CDC also advised “at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask-wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk.” 

But with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant amid the push for school reopening, the pediatrics group wanted to make sure that the return of in-person learning “happens safely.”

Sonja O’Leary, the chair of the AAP Council on School Health, stated, “Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking, and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone.”

The AAP emphasized that its new guidance of mask-wearing inside schools applies to students, teachers, and staff.

They explained that universal masking is still necessary “because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated.”

They also pointed out that several schools do not have “a system to monitor vaccine status of students, teachers, and staff, and some communities overall have low vaccination uptake where the virus may be circulating more prominently.”

The AAP also recommended increasing the availability and accessibility of “adequate and timely COVID-19 testing resources,” as well as revised and adapted strategies “depending on the level of viral transmission and test positivity rate throughout the community and schools.” 

Source: FOX News