The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday recommended that all children over the age of 2 wear masks when returning to school this year, regardless of vaccination status.
The AAP is calling the new guidance a “layered approach.”
“We need to prioritize getting children back into schools alongside their friends and their teachers — and we all play a role in making sure it happens safely,” said Sonja O’Leary, chair of the AAP Council on School Health. “Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone.”
Children 12 and over are eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations in the U.S. And the FDA said last week that emergency authorization for vaccines for children under 12 could come in early to midwinter.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this month that vaccinated students do not have to wear masks in classrooms.
What has not changed is guidance for children under the age of 2, which says it is dangerous for newborns and infants to wear masks because they can pose a suffocation risk, and babies and toddlers may try to remove them, actually increasing their chance of catching the virus.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
