Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance and public health recommendations for fully vaccinated individuals. This guidance left some parents who have unvaccinated children confused about what to do.
As part of Penn State’s “COVID-19 Vaccines: Asked & Answered” series, Dr. Patrick Gavigan, pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Children’s Hospital, shared that kids under 12 are in the category of unvaccinated individuals and should wear masks when they are near each other and in large groups – especially indoors.
“Outdoor play poses much less risk when distanced,” Gavigan added. “Hang in there until vaccines are available for kids. You can help by getting the vaccine and encouraging everyone ages 12+ to do so, as well. The vaccines are working really well.”
Penn State is planning to transition its COVID-19 restrictions to more closely align with the latest CDC guidance on June 28, and the University strongly encourages all employees and students to not only get the COVID-19 vaccine but then upload their vaccination records as soon as possible. With this information, University officials will be able to better assess vaccination rates across Penn State and modify approaches, if needed. The latest vaccination information is available on Penn State’s virus information website.