Masks for vaccinated teens in the fall at APS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious questions. The vaccine is much more effective than masks at preventing you from getting or giving covid.

So why do we feel like masks protect us better than the vaccine? We are willing to allow kids/teens to do things masked, but not unmasked and vaccinated. The latter -- unmasked and vaxxed -- is much safer than the former. Is it just because we can SEE the masks so it makes us feel better? I would imagine that the lying-about-being-vaxxed people pose the same risk as the ineffective-mask-wearing people do.

Good points. We love our masks tooo much around here. Prior to the vaccine, masks were important. Now that we have a vaccine, masks are so much less important. Really, distancing, cleaning and masks are not very helpful at this point. Vaccines and being outside are our best preventions!

No. Half of the schoolkids won't be able to be vaccinated. Masks are still very necessary for the unvaccinated.


Why would anyone think masks are unnecessary for unvaccinated?

+1

Ok so maybe we mask up the elementary kids. But what about kids 12+? I would argue that if they show proof of vaccination, they get to lose the mask. Vaccines are FAR superior to masks! If someone won't get their kid vaccinated, they can require the kid wear a mask.

[Anonymous]

We were just talking about this in terms of my office, too. Very frustrating. I am vaccinated and don't want to wear a mask because other people aren't vaccinated. If someone in my office can't get vaccinated...say, they are undergoing chemo...that's one thing. But then, shouldn't THEY just wear a mask, and the rest of us take additional precautions around them if they are in the office? I still don't think ME wearing a mask all day really helps them. And if we're talking about people who just don't want to get vaccinated, then, I am definitely not going to keep wearing one to "protect" them.

In high schools, staff and students should all be vaccinated by fall and should not have to wear masks. I also don't understand the argument of "many of them have younger siblings at home who can't get vaccinated yet." Those age groups were last in line to for vaccine trials because they are the least likely to get seriously ill. The risk of transmission from a vaccinated person to an unvaccinated person is also very low. So it seems crazy to make vaccinated high school staff and students wear masks -- which doesn't really FURTHER reduce the risk -- because some people live with individuals who are not vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

I agree, but they need to give families advance notice. If they are going to allow vaccinated kids to be in school without masks, that might be an incentive for a hesitant family to get the vaccine. Give them the time to do that before school starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

Smart. Hopefully public schools follow suit. That's probably the only way to keep rates low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

Smart. Hopefully public schools follow suit. That's probably the only way to keep rates low.

x1000 I am totally behind this! Private schools leading the way once again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

Good for them. I hope the public schools follow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

Good for them. I hope the public schools follow

This is absolutely what should happen, but it isn't going to be a decision that school districts can make. The fact that the vaccine is still approved under EUA will prevent public schools from mandating it. Which sucks. Private schools can impose those mandates. Pfizer and Moderna have both submitted applications for full approval, but only in 16+ and 18+, respectively. And Moderna only submitted it last week. Even if those approvals are granted in time to put a requirement in place, you still have 14 and 15 year olds in HS who won't be covered by the full approvals.
But I see no reason why students and staff can't be required to show proof of vaccination, and then be given permission to go unmasked at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were just talking about this in terms of my office, too. Very frustrating. I am vaccinated and don't want to wear a mask because other people aren't vaccinated. If someone in my office can't get vaccinated...say, they are undergoing chemo...that's one thing. But then, shouldn't THEY just wear a mask, and the rest of us take additional precautions around them if they are in the office? I still don't think ME wearing a mask all day really helps them. And if we're talking about people who just don't want to get vaccinated, then, I am definitely not going to keep wearing one to "protect" them.

In high schools, staff and students should all be vaccinated by fall and should not have to wear masks. I also don't understand the argument of "many of them have younger siblings at home who can't get vaccinated yet." Those age groups were last in line to for vaccine trials because they are the least likely to get seriously ill. The risk of transmission from a vaccinated person to an unvaccinated person is also very low. So it seems crazy to make vaccinated high school staff and students wear masks -- which doesn't really FURTHER reduce the risk -- because some people live with individuals who are not vaccinated.

+1

Vaccinated people are protecting their community! They don’t need to wear masks. If you can’t get vaccinated and your community has high transmission rates, then you should wear an N95 to protect yourself against other unvaccinated people.

[Anonymous]

While it says this may change based on new guidance, I think this is total BS. Vaccinated people do not get additional protection, for themselves or others, from wearing masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. CDC also says that they don't need to send vaccinated kids home if there is a case in the classroom.



APS will continue to adjust measures for School Year 2021-22 based on latest guidance and best practices. ​

Masks: Required in buildings and on buses​
Physical distancing & ​classroom capacity​: Normal classroom capacity​
Recess: No masks required outside for recess ​
Health Screening​: No temperature checks; honor system symptom reporting, Isolation rooms no longer provided in schools​
Contact Tracing: Positive case in classroom:​ Elementary: all students excluded​, Secondary: students in immediate proximity excluded​
Quarantine​: 8 days with negative test on day 5*​, Fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from quarantine, as verified by School Health​
Athletics & Activities​: Indoor masks required, contact tracing requirements for students and employees​
Visitors & volunteers​: Permitted with masks, screening and contact tracing​

*Students who do not participate in the APS testing program would continue to be excluded for 14 days from the date of last exposure. ​

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While it says this may change based on new guidance, I think this is total BS. Vaccinated people do not get additional protection, for themselves or others, from wearing masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. CDC also says that they don't need to send vaccinated kids home if there is a case in the classroom.



APS will continue to adjust measures for School Year 2021-22 based on latest guidance and best practices. ​

Masks: Required in buildings and on buses​
Physical distancing & ​classroom capacity​: Normal classroom capacity​
Recess: No masks required outside for recess ​
Health Screening​: No temperature checks; honor system symptom reporting, Isolation rooms no longer provided in schools​
Contact Tracing: Positive case in classroom:​ Elementary: all students excluded​, Secondary: students in immediate proximity excluded​
Quarantine​: 8 days with negative test on day 5*​, Fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from quarantine, as verified by School Health​
Athletics & Activities​: Indoor masks required, contact tracing requirements for students and employees​
Visitors & volunteers​: Permitted with masks, screening and contact tracing​

*Students who do not participate in the APS testing program would continue to be excluded for 14 days from the date of last exposure. ​

Ugh, yes vaccinated people do get additional protection from wearing masks. The vaccines don't work as well against the variants and the vaccines have variable efficacy in different people depending on immune response.

I'd be ok with unmasked for those who can prove vax status as there appears to be good protection if all unmasked are vaxxed.

But definitely mask up those unvaxxed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it says this may change based on new guidance, I think this is total BS. Vaccinated people do not get additional protection, for themselves or others, from wearing masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. CDC also says that they don't need to send vaccinated kids home if there is a case in the classroom.



APS will continue to adjust measures for School Year 2021-22 based on latest guidance and best practices. ​

Masks: Required in buildings and on buses​
Physical distancing & ​classroom capacity​: Normal classroom capacity​
Recess: No masks required outside for recess ​
Health Screening​: No temperature checks; honor system symptom reporting, Isolation rooms no longer provided in schools​
Contact Tracing: Positive case in classroom:​ Elementary: all students excluded​, Secondary: students in immediate proximity excluded​
Quarantine​: 8 days with negative test on day 5*​, Fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from quarantine, as verified by School Health​
Athletics & Activities​: Indoor masks required, contact tracing requirements for students and employees​
Visitors & volunteers​: Permitted with masks, screening and contact tracing​

*Students who do not participate in the APS testing program would continue to be excluded for 14 days from the date of last exposure. ​

Ugh, yes vaccinated people do get additional protection from wearing masks. The vaccines don't work as well against the variants and the vaccines have variable efficacy in different people depending on immune response.

I'd be ok with unmasked for those who can prove vax status as there appears to be good protection if all unmasked are vaxxed.

But definitely mask up those unvaxxed.

That is not what the CDC says:

People are considered fully vaccinated:
2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death.
COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading COVID-19.

We're still learning how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others.
We're still learning how well the vaccines protect people with weakened immune systems, including people who take immunosuppressive medications.

If you’ve been fully vaccinated:
You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart.
If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for taking off the masks if APS implements a policy to prove vaccination status for all (teachers, staff and students). Exceptions can be made for those who cannot get vaccines due to their medical conditions. No religious exemptions. Because we all know that's the get out of jail free card for the antivaxxers.

I don't understand why this is contentious?

Finally, schools will be safe for all.

The private schools come through yet again. McLean School in Potomac, MD announced yesterday that all teachers and students 12+ must be vaccinated and present their vaccination card before the first day of school. Same requirement for teachers and staff.

Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will most likely have to be tested twice a week.

What say you, APS?

Smart. Hopefully public schools follow suit. That's probably the only way to keep rates low.

x1000 I am totally behind this! Private schools leading the way once again.

Private schools are not leading the way. They are able to create policies that public school cannot. They are much smaller systems, if you can even call them systems. They have their own set of problems….

I think the masks will come off for high school students in the fall, but it’s silly to debate it now. August is a long way away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do we think vaccinated 12-18's will be required to wear masks at school during the fall in APS? Duran has already given the heads up that distancing won't be possible--really hope this doesn't mean masks all day, 5 days per week for kids who are fully vaccinated.

Why do you care so much? August is months away. By then APS will have more information and guidance from the CDC and can figure it out then.