The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a statement insisting that all children need to wear masks to school this coming year. This stance is in direct contradiction to that offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has insisted that only unvaccinated children need to be masked indoors.
To make matters more confusing, individual states and school districts are also coming up with their own policies regarding masks in the classroom.
Sonja O’Leary, the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on School Health, explained the reasoning behind the academy's stance:
"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."
The approach includes using several different layers of protection to assure as many safety measures are in place as possible.
"Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone," she said.
While children who are over the age of 12 can be vaccinated against the virus, the vaccination rate for the age group remains pretty low. A vaccine for children under the age of 12 is not expected to be approved until mid-winter at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the CDC has its own guidance for the coming school year. Erin Sauber-Schatz, the leader of the Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force, explained that its position applies to children in K-12 classrooms and is designed "to help keep kids in classrooms, as well as participating in any sports or extracurricular activities."
Additional guidance regarding children and masks has not changed. Kids who are 2 years old and younger are still not required to wear masks, and masks could in fact pose safety and health hazards to the age group.
