How Parents Can Protect Unvaccinated Kids Going Back To School As COVID Cases Rise

With the Delta variant surging across the U.S. and kids representing roughly 15% of all new COVID cases as of the first week of August, parents may be wondering how to handle their unvaccinated children as they head back to school.

Across the country, most schools plan to return to in-person learning and many will require masks, especially in elementary schools where students are under the age of 12. Others, such as schools in Florida, are being barred from creating mask mandates.

So, what should parents do to help their unvaccinated, school-aged children? As noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their Aug. 5 update, there are several steps that can be taken to help protect the health of students.

When it comes to the classroom, the CDC has advised children to wear masks indoors, even when among the vaccinated. Staying 3-feet away from others is also concerned critical as is practicing frequent hand washing and respiratory etiquette, such as staying home when sick.

Though, getting the COVID vaccine is the best solution to stopping the spread of the virus, says the CDC. "Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic," noted the organization.

As of last month, Food and Drug Administration officials said children under 12 may be eligible to receive the vaccine by mid-winter, a move that could bring relief to many parents.

As reported by NBC News, both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have launched trials with results expected to be shared in the fall. Pfizer anticipates the study results for children ages 5 to 11 to come out in September, and the data for children ages 2 to 5 could arrive "soon after that." Data on infants' and toddlers' reactions to the vaccine may not be released until October or November.

When it comes to children being eligible for the vaccine, Dr. Teresa Murray Amato, chair of the emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Hospital, encourages parents to “speak to their pediatricians regarding the appropriateness of their child receiving the vaccine," noting, "vaccinated children could lead to less spread of the virus to more vulnerable populations.”

Side effects for children receiving the vaccine could be similar to adults who receive it and could range from experiencing a headache to achy muscles or joints, fever, and chills.

“I think the biggest concern right now is whether the side effect profile will be similar to that of adults. If so, parents will have a lot of confidence that this is a safe and effective vaccine,” said Dr. C. Buddy Creech, director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program and professor of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as noted by Healthline.

He added, “If so, parents will have a lot of confidence that this is a safe and effective vaccine.”