All children aged 2 years and older should wear a mask at school, regardless of vaccination status, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced Monday, July 19, 2021.
The AAP gave their recommendations in a press release that also supported children going back to in-person learning at school. They added that those with a medical or developmental condition prohibiting mask-wearing should be given consideration to go without the masks.
The AAP’s mask recommendation is in direct opposition to the CDC, which says that fully vaccinated students, teachers and staff don’t need masks at school. Oddly, the AAP said one reason they are recommending masks is because so “many children and others cannot be vaccinated.”
“The AAP believes that, at this point in the pandemic, given what we know about low rates of in-school transmission when proper prevention measures are used, together with the availability of effective vaccines for those age 12 years and up, that the benefits of in-person school outweigh the risks in all circumstances," CNN quoted the guidance as saying.
And, even though evidence shows that masks are causing emotional distress and mental problems with children, the AAP’s chair of its Council on School Health, Sonja O’Leary, said that one reason the organization was making masking, vaccination and hands hygiene a priority was because of the ill effects the pandemic has had on children’s mental, emotional and physical health.
SOURCES:
CNN July 19, 2021
Cerebrum April 15, 2021