ANNOUNCED NEW MASKING GUIDELINES RECOMMENDING EVERYONE A K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS
WEAR A
MASK REGARDLESS. THEIR
VACCINATION STATUS. IT’S BEEN
OVER A YEAR SINCE SUBSTANTIVE
STEP FOOT IN A CLASSROOM BASED
ON THIS LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> THE CHANGES TO THE SCHOOL
YEAR ARE NOT OVER.
WE BRING IN PRESIDENT OF THE
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
A FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE
CDC DOCTOR RICHARD BESSER GOOD
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. IT’S NICE TO
BE HERE GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH
US DOCTOR BESSER FIRST HOW
SHOULD STUDENT THE PARENTS BE
PREPARING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SHOULD DISTRICT START
MANDATING VACCINES.
>> WELL YEAH, I’M A
PEDIATRICIAN AND I’M A PARENT
AND I’M VERY EXCITED THAT SO
MANY STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE
BACK
IN SCHOOL. THIS CLEARLY THAT IS
THE BEST PLACE FOR KIDS IN
SCHOOL LEARNING IF IT CAN BE
DONE SAFELY AND WHAT WE FOUND
OVER THE PAST YEAR
IS THAT IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY
IF TEACHERS AND STAFF GET
VACCINATED IF SCHOOLS
ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS WEARING
A MASK AND THAT THERE’S ROOM
BETWEEN DESKS AND THAT THERE’S
IMPROVE VENTILATION IT CAN
BE DONE VERY SAFELY BUT IT’S
IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING
ON IN THEIR OWN IF YOU’RE IN A
COMMUNITY WHERE THE
THE RATE OF OF DISEASE
TRANSMISSION IS VERY HIGH AND
THE RATE OF VACCINATIONS
VERY LOW. YOU REALLY WANT TO
FOCUS VERY VERY CLEARLY ON
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL
AND MADE THAT THEY ARE ENSURING
THAT THE MEASURES ARE IN PLACE
TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE.
>> AND DOCTOR BESSER THIS
QUESTION IS FROM A MOTHER WITH
2 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE
OF 7. SHE SAYS HOW DO WE
PROTECT OUR KIDS FROM THIS
VIRUS WITH NO VACCINE AND OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT
MANDATING MASKS IN THE
CLASSROOM, HOW DO WE KEEP OUR
FAMILY SAFE.
>> WELL I YOU KNOW I HOPE WITH
THE NEW CDC GUIDANCE THAT MORE
SCHOOLS WILL SAY YES WE ARE
GOING TO WITH THAT ALL CHILDREN
WEAR
WEAR MASKS. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT
TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE
ARE NO THERE ARE NO VACCINES
FOR FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12 AND
THEY’RE PROTECTED BY WHAT WE DO
AS ADULTS. SO I VACCINATE MYSELF TO PROTECT MY MYSELF FROM FROM COVID
BUT ALSO THAT PROTECTED THOSE
AROUND ME WHO I CARE SO MUCH
ABOUT WHO CAN’T GET VACCINATED
EITHER BECAUSE THEY’RE TOO
YOUNG OR THEY HAVE MEDICAL
CONDITIONS FOR WHICH THE
VACCINES
ARE INEFFECTIVE IT’S ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WE DO FOR EACH
OTHER AND I EXPECT THAT
OVER TIME MORE AND MORE
BUSINESSES WILL REQUIRE
VACCINATION WHETHER IT’S
REQUIRING THAT ALL
TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE
VACCINATED OR WHETHER
A BUSINESS FOR THEIR FOR THEIR
EMPLOYEES SAYS WE’RE GOING TO
REQUIRE THAT EVERYONE IS IS
VACCINATED IN ORDER TO KEEP.
THE THE ENTIRE
WORKFORCE, SAFE. DOCTOR S I
KNOW YOU’RE A PEDIATRICIAN AND
NOT AN ATTORNEY BUT IN YOUR
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE WOULD IT BE
LEGAL FOR.
>> PLACES LIKE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
TO
MANDATE VACCINES.
>> IT WOULD YOU KNOW IT’S IT’S
IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE
CDC IS NOT A REGULATORY AGENCY
AND SO
WHILE THE CDC CAN RECOMMEND
DIFFERENT MEASURES IT’S IT’S
LEFT TO STATES AND LOCALITIES
TO DECIDE ON IMPLEMENTATION FOR
FOR VACCINE MANDATES MOST
STATES DO THAT AT THE STATE
LEVEL IN TERMS OF WHAT VACCINES
ARE REQUIRED. YOU KNOW AS AS A PEDIATRICIAN I KNOW THAT. IT’S
EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU
REQUIRE VACCINATIONS FOR SCHOOL
ENTRY A LOT OF PARENTS WHO WHO
MAY BE ON THE FENCE ABOUT
VACCINATION ONCE THOSE RECORD
THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE IN PLACE
SAY YOU KNOW WHAT I’M JUST
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT AND
I THINK THAT WOULD BE
THE CASE FOR COVID VACCINE.
IF IT WERE REQUIRED IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT
YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT SOMETHING
WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEN FOR
YOUNGER CHILDREN. I DON’T
EXPECT THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE
SEEING IT AT THIS POINT FOR
MANY SCHOOLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
EITHER.
>> AND DOCTOR BESSER ON ANOTHER
NOTE IN A RECENT ARTICLE YOU
MENTIONED THAT STUDENTS SHOULD
ALWAYS HAVE FREE MEALS AND WHY
IS THIS SO IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY
NOW.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW THE PANDEMIC
AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS 7 HAVE
SHINED A BRIGHT LIGHT ON AN
CONDITIONS IN AMERICA AND
WHAT WE SEE IS THAT IT’S
NOT THERE THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY EVERYWHERE. AND
THIS SCHOOL YEAR NOW WHAT WE’RE
SEEING IT PUT IN PLACE IS
UNIVERSAL SCHOOL LUNCHES THAT
MEANS THAT EVERY CHILD
REGARDLESS OF INCOME. WE’LL GET
A HEALTHY MEAL AT SCHOOL EACH
DAY. AND WE KNOW THAT ONE IN 6
CHILDREN IN AMERICA
EVERY DAY IF A SITUATION WHERE
THEY WON’T KNOW IF THEY’RE
GOING TO BE GETTING
ENOUGH TO EAT THIS WILL ENSURE
THAT EVERY CHILD
WILL AND IT TAKES AWAY THAT
STIGMA. ANY SENSE OF SHAME THAT
THE CHILD HAS BEEN HAVING TO
STEP FORWARD IN AND QUALIFY
BASED ON BASED
ON INCOME. THAT’S A WONDERFUL
THING AND I HOPE THAT THE
CHANGES THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE.
THIS YEAR BECOME PERMANENT SO THAT EVERY CHILD HAS WHAT THEY NEED IT’S VERY HARD TO BE IN
CLASS AND FOCUS AND LEARN
IF YOUR STOMACH IS GROWLING IF
YOU’RE HUNGRY IF YOU HAVEN’T
HAD ENOUGH TO EAT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN
PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT
EVERY CHILD CAN CAN DO THEIR
BEST IN SCHOOL CAN GO TO SCHOOL
WITH DREAMS AND SEE THOSE
DREAMS BECOME REAL ALL RIGHT
PRESIDENT THE ROBERT WOOD
JOHNSON FOUNDATION FORMER
ACTING DIRECTOR CDC DOCTOR