\u201cThe chances of a child contracting and spreading the virus is a lot lower than it is for adults,\u201d said Cole Beeler, medical director of infection prevention at IU Health University Hospital. \u201cChildren just haven\u2019t been affected in the same way older people have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beeler called the CDC decision a step in the right direction that shows the effectiveness of the vaccines and incentivizes people to get vaccinated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sends the message that getting the vaccine comes with benefits,\u201d he said. \u201cIt incentivizes those who are vaccine hesitant. It\u2019s a wonderful carrot at the end of the stick.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With many of us now cleared to take off our masks, there are some that still don't want to (Photo: Wochit)<\/span><\/p>\n But Beeler said he recognizes the concerns of parents with young children.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a parent, you have to do what you feel is best to protect your children and that may mean still keeping restrictions in place on what you go out and do with your children,\u201d Beeler said. \u201cAll of this is weighing risks and benefits for you as a family.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is now available to children ages 12 to 15 following the CDC’s recommendation Wednesday. Beeler said he expects children younger than 12\u00a0will begin\u00a0getting vaccinated soon and hopes this will calm the fears of some parents anxious about loosened mask requirements.<\/p>\n While she understands children are less susceptible to the virus, Able said her family will continue to wear masks to better shield her daughters from the virus.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s a low percentage, but there are children who have gotten it and been affected,\u201d she said, her voice breaking. \u201cWhat if it was your kid? I would take a gamble on myself. But my children? Never.\u201d<\/p>\n Emily Smith, assistant professor of epidemiology at Baylor University, said the new CDC guidelines have been \u201chard and confusing\u201d for parents who are fatigued by making constant difficult decisions to protect their children from the virus.<\/p>\n \u201cThe new guidelines add a new dimension to that fatigue for families with littles who have not gotten their vaccines yet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In a Facebook post, Smith said the new guidelines depend heavily on \u201cthe honor system which I don\u2019t trust anymore\u201d and may leave behind people who are still vulnerable, including children, high-risk adults and communities with poor access to healthcare and vaccinations.<\/p>\n “I feel like parents with young children aren\u2019t being fully considered in these decisions. A mask feels like an easy thing to do to protect our children.”<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s still a large amount of unvaccinated high-risk individuals who rely on people telling the truth about whether or not they are vaccinated and acting accordingly with masking,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Yvonne Maldonado, chair of the AAP committee on infectious diseases, said in a Friday statement that younger children should continue to wear face masks in public until they are eligible to be vaccinated.<\/p>\n Opinion: <\/strong>We’re vaccinated but our son isn’t. The CDC lifted mask rules. So what do we do now?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already seen how the masks have helped prevent the spread of respiratory infections within schools, camps and other community settings, particularly when everyone wears them, washes hands and follows other infection control guidance,\u201d Maldonado said.<\/p>\n But Sarah Howland\u2019s 15-month-old daughter is too young to wear a mask, she said. While Howland, from Chicago, was first excited about the new guidelines, she quickly became anxious and frustrated when thinking about how it may affect her young daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure that I trust that relaxing the guidance is the best thing for my daughter,\u201d she said. \u201cI am terrified of her getting sick and having long-term effects from that that we\u2019ve yet to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Because her daughter can\u2019t yet get vaccinated or wear a mask, seeing others around her wear masks gives her a level of calm and protection, Howland said.<\/p>\n Experts say once people accept the transition back to not wearing masks, it is important to take small steps toward re-integration.<\/p>\n Wochit<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI feel like parents with young children aren\u2019t being fully considered in these decisions,\u201d she said. \u201cA mask feels like an easy thing to do to protect our children.\u201d<\/p>\n Suzanne Publicover, a mother of a 3-year-old and 15-month-old in Washington, D.C., agreed and also plans to continue to wear her mask.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been extremely upset and frustrated about the new guidance,\u201d Publicover said. \u201cIt seems extremely premature and as though they haven\u2019t even considered parents and young kids.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s infuriating that we\u2019ve been left behind,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n‘A new dimension’ of family fatigue<\/h2>\n
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