Topline
Children don’t need to wear masks or socially distance at summer camp if they’re fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated campers generally don’t need to wear masks outdoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday, partially rolling back a strict set of summer camp recommendations some health experts considered overly cautious.
A student has his temperature taken before entering Sunkist Elementary School in Anaheim, CA on ... [+]
Key Facts
If everybody at a summer camp is fully vaccinated before arriving, camps can safely lift their mask mandates and return to their pre-pandemic capacity, the CDC said in an update to the agency’s public health guidance for summer camps.
Campers who aren’t vaccinated should keep wearing masks indoors and in tight outdoor areas, and the CDC says camps can require everybody to wear a mask if they expect to have a tough time distinguishing between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Pfizer’s vaccine was authorized for Americans ages 12 and older earlier this month, but data for children under 12 isn’t expected until September, meaning younger children probably won’t be eligible to get vaccinated in time for summer camp.
Key Background
The CDC had previously recommended all campers and staff wear masks at all times, except when eating or swimming. Shortly after this policy was rolled out in late April, some experts called it unrealistic and overly stringent. Dr. Mark Gorelik of Columbia University called the policy “senseless” in an interview with New York Magazine, noting the risk of outdoor transmission and severe illness in children is very low, and Dr. Ashish Jha from Brown University told CNN the CDC is “playing this super-duper safe.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, defended the CDC’s guidelines in an NBC News interview but acknowledged they “certainly are conservative” and could be tough to enforce.
Tangent
As more Americans get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the CDC has gradually loosened its public health recommendations for inoculated people. The agency now says fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks or social distance in most cases.
Big Number
5.3 million. That’s how many American children have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot as of Friday, accounting for 35.3% of the country’s 16- and 17-year-olds and 17.5% of people ages 12 to 15, according to the CDC. By comparison, some 62.2% of U.S. adults and 85.7% of seniors are at least partially vaccinated.
Further Reading
Is the latest summer camp COVID-19 guidance too strict? Some experts think so (Boston Globe)
