How long masks and kids?

[Jennasis]

Yes US. Glad you were able to. We didn’t have that experience in our State.

What state?

 

[neverlandsky]

What state?

SW region of the US.

 

[Jennasis]

SW region of the US.

That stinks. I'm in NC and got a flu vaccine every year since moving here in 2003 with no problem.

 

[low-key]

Im sure it will be a state by state thing, and they will all ease us back into normal, but I feel by summer we should all be going right bakc to normak, Im sure there will be a certain part of the poulation that will be super cautious, but thas ok, we all like ti when we can do it our own way

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

2024.

Flu shots from 2009-2013 were very hard to get. There were waiting lists for priority patients and shortages. I don’t think this vaccine rollout will be efficient or distributed to the masses due to our personal experience of trying to get a flu shot for our youngest from 2009-2013. Youngest was eligible and a priority due to positive for swine flu/pneumonia in 2009. We were able to finally get 1 in 2012 for them. One shot during 5 years.

Where are you? We haven’t had a problem getting a flu shot for our kids ever and my oldest is almost 17.

ETA: just saw your answer. That’s really strange to me.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Where are you? We haven’t had a problem getting a flu shot for our kids ever and my oldest is almost 17.

ETA: just saw your answer. That’s really strange to me.

I think it's the 4 years back to back basically that seems more strange to me. There have been times in the past for temporary shortages during a particular flu season but I haven't ever heard of long term let alone 4 years or several years consecutively let alone someone only being able to get 1 shot over a 5 year period due to supply; something seems up with that

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

A boy under the age of 10 died in my city yesterday of Covid. He’s the youngest person in my province to die of it. While they may be at lower risk, there is still a risk.

not to mention, we don't know the long term effects of this. It could be nothing, which would be the best thing...or it could be something along the lines of what shingles is to chicken pox, or more. We just don't know, and won't for a long time.

 

[disneychrista]

I fully expect that masks will be mandated throughout 2021. They may start to relax sometime in spring 2022. I don't expect it to be any different for children than adults.

 

[aprilgail]

Are you in the US? I get a flu shot every year, as do all my kids, and I never had a hard time getting one during that time period. My youngest was born in 2009 and my oldest was 4 in 2009, and we've never missed a shot, ever.

I was wondering the same thing. Never an issue here-walk into any pharmacy and had no problem ever getting one.

 

[mommasita]

A boy under the age of 10 died in my city yesterday of Covid. He’s the youngest person in my province to die of it. While they may be at lower risk, there is still a risk.

I saw this today, devastating. There is most definitely a risk, my sister in law is a teaching aide in Grade 7, two children in her classroom are hospitalized with the virus. Two in one classroom hospitalized is a lot to me. She and others in that classroom are now in quarantine,

 

[Colleen27]

I think it is likely to be just the opposite: masks in school is likely to last longer than masks in general public settings. None of the vaccines currently seeking approval are being tested on children, so they're very likely to be the *last* group to be vaccinated. That's going to create pressure to continue mask rules in schools either until a vaccine is approved for use in children or until the virus is only circulating at very, very low levels in the adult population.

I fully expect we'll still be wearing masks at school well into the 2021-22 school year.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I hope masks are mandated in schools until we are able to reach true herd immunity. I work with kids in grades 4-6. They are fantastic at wearing their masks correctly in school. Social distancing is, however, a struggle. Not to mention that so many of their families are not at all following best practices outside of school - sleepovers, parties, no masks while waking downtown, etc. Educators are so ready to get back to full-time teaching, but many parents just won’t do the right thing to get this under control. It’s scary.

 

[tzolkin]

I think it is likely to be just the opposite: masks in school is likely to last longer than masks in general public settings.

I fully expect we'll still be wearing masks at school well into the 2021-22 school year.

I agree. I think it's easier for most adults to social distance than it is for kids who are in a classroom of 30. In my experience the kids seem to be more tolerant of wearing the masks than adults. So if the masks are not bothering them, why not just continue to wear them? Even pandemic aside, we all know that small children attending daycare/school are constantly spreading illnesses around so the mask use may help general illness spread in the schools (not just COVID).

Honestly, with the current restrictions/precautions in place, getting ANY illness can be a huge inconvenience for families. I have had my temperature taken to go to work, to enter medical/dental buildings, to pick up my prescriptions, at the airport, and even at one restaurant. Even if we had absolutely no worry about getting COVID, we would be prevented from doing basic things (including working) if we had any illness that included a fever.

In my county, basically no one is wearing as mask except kids in school. There is still a mask mandate and stores have signs posted on their doors, but it is a rural area and everyone is just refusing to wear them. We are, of course, now having a huge increase in our case numbers and our county is now depicted as "red" while the surrounding counties (including those with large cities) are light yellow. I am very glad that our school district is still enforcing the masks even though it's very unpopular here, but I think even if they dropped it as a requirement my son would continue to wear his.

 

[tvguy]

No predictions. Judging from the record hospitalizations, we haven't done a very good job with masks, hand washing, social distance and avoiding gatherings.
In some cultures it is the norm for someone to wear a mask if they are out and have a cold, so I wonder if masks will stay with us after the pandemic.

 

[Skippy918]

I wonder if virtual school will continue next year, or do we think all kids can go back in person?

 

[PollyannaMom]

In my experience the kids seem to be more tolerant of wearing the masks than adults.

Yes, kids are very adaptable!

In my county, basically no one is wearing as mask except kids in school.

This is the part I clicked the sad emoji about.

 

[Frwinkley]

Parents want their kids back in school, and as a teacher, it's what we all want. I am teaching 3rd grade in person 5 days a week. These same parents, however, refuse to play by the rules. They have house parties for their families, sleepovers for their kids and than are dumb enough to post pictures all over social media.

I have 3 students right now who are in quarantine and therefore, are having to learning remotely. That means more work for me as an in person classroom teacher. Three of those kids have parents with covid, and therefore, they cannot come to school. I'm not blaming the parents or the kids--this virus is highly contagious. Not everyone catching this is breaking the rules.

However, our district's policy regarding Thanksgiving travel was this: if you chose to leave the state, your child cannot return to school for 14 days. I now have 2 additional kids in quarantine (I'm sure there are many more who have not told us of their travel plans), who I have to teach remotely (I am in the classroom 5 days per week). Again, more work for me. We are all making sacrifices, and yet many people simply won't. They want it all their way and will thank classroom teachers endlessly for being in the classroom (it's my job and I don't need the thanks), but if we ever had to shut down because of increasing cases, lack of staff (yes, teachers are getting sick and finding substitutes is nearly impossible), they'd be the first people whining about it.

I wish we could all stop being so selfish.

 

[MrsPete]

Two thoughts:

- When you get a vaccine, it doesn't take effect instantly; the flu shot, for example, takes about two weeks to reach full strength. So a smart person would keep wearing a mask a couple weeks.
- We talked about this at school last week: Once a vaccine is available, we teachers won't know which students have had it /which ones haven't ... so we're sure we'll have to continue to require all students to wear masks for a time. At least, in the halls and in transition times this'll have to happen for a while.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Two thoughts:

- When you get a vaccine, it doesn't take effect instantly; the flu shot, for example, takes about two weeks to reach full strength. So a smart person would keep wearing a mask a couple weeks.
- We talked about this at school last week: Once a vaccine is available, we teachers won't know which students have had it /which ones haven't ... so we're sure we'll have to continue to require all students to wear masks for a time. At least, in the halls and in transition times this'll have to happen for a while.

Do you not know if students are vaccinated against other things? Is that information kept in the office/school nurse? I truly don’t know.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see districts require vaccination records to return to in person school. Although I think it will be a district by district decision.

 

[MrsPete]

Do you not know if students are vaccinated against other things? Is that information kept in the office/school nurse? I truly don’t know.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see districts require vaccination records to return to in person school. Although I think it will be a district by district decision.

Students cannot be in the classroom if they haven't had certain vaccinations right now, but we're talking about vaccines that have been around for decades. Vaccines that everyone has had the opportunity to procure. The school nurse checks these vaccinations, and teachers aren't involved in that process.

This vaccination -- when available -- will be different for several reasons:
- We're already back in the classroom.
- Some students will be vaccinated immediately, and other parents will drag their feet and won't get the shots until they are absolutely mandatory. For a time, some students will "be safe" while others are not yet vaccinated.
- At some point the school will probably say, "If you haven't had the vaccine by X date, you can't come to school." It'll be treated the same way we treat current vaccines like MMR or ChickenPox. The problem is in the transition period while everyone legitimately hasn't had time to get the shot.
- In my own classroom I'll know which of my own students has been vaccinated, but I won't know about other students (students I don't teach) in the hallways, cafeteria, etc.