The Tennessee American Academy of Pediatrics released the following statement regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and indoor masking for all:
"As our children return to school, it is critical that we provide a layered approach to mitigate the spread of COVID. This includes vaccination for those who are eligible and universal masking while indoors. In Tennessee the spread of COVID has increased again, and our hospital numbers are increasing as well. We are in a situation where masking can provide some reduction in spread while we increase vaccinations.
"We need to protect our children who are too young to be vaccinated.
"We support the rights of parents to make decisions for their children, but we also support the rights of children and school staff not to be harmed by decisions that go against science and current public health needs. It is false to believe that children don’t get COVID. They do. As pediatricians, we have cared for them. Children can also spread COVID to vulnerable people in their homes and communities.
"We need our schools to remain open, our parents to be able to go work, and most important, our children and school staff to not get sick. The closures of schools not only have a negative impact on learning but also on the mental health of our children. We should have a shared goal to keep our schools open as safely as possible.
"The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics supports the CDC and AAP return to school guidance for universal masking for K-12 schools in the state. Masking works. Masks are not
harmful. Masks are well tolerated.
"Let’s mask to stay in school."