NOT SO FAST

CDC Urges Schools to Keep Requiring Masks

Many have celebrated the lifting of mask mandates in light of new guidance for adults, but there is still no approved vaccine for children under 12.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on schools to keep requiring masks at least through the end of the year, despite new guidelines earlier this week saying fully vaccinated adults can safely ditch their masks. “Universal and correct use of masks should be required” at schools that have students on-site, the CDC said in a statement, adding that “physical distancing should be maximized to the greatest extent possible.” While many have celebrated the news announced by President Biden on Thursday that the CDC would no longer recommend mask-wearing for vaccinated adults, the agency noted on Saturday that many K-12 students are in a very different situation. There is currently no approved vaccine for children under the age of 12, and though children over 12 recently got the go-ahead for the shots, they may not be fully vaccinated by the time the school year ends.