When Can These Children Go Back To School?

Listen. Mamas. Daddies. Bring it in. Group hug? It seems like we are one “mamaaaa,” or “dad-deeee” or “leave me alooone” from losing it right?

For almost a year some of you have been waist-up professional — working from home, on Zoom-meetings, clicking that video-off icon 2, 3, 4 times per meeting to help your little ones navigate “iPad school”- that’s what we call it at our house, and get your teens to do the same while ensuring they maintain their daily optimal body hygiene.

Then, there are those of us who are on the frontline of this pandemic, wishing our stress was rooted in the dynamics of being home with our virtual learning children. Instead, our stress is related to not being at home with our children enough, and the anxiety and fear of not wanting to infect our family with COVID-19.

Believe it or not, our stress that is related to our children and overall family dynamics during this time pales in comparison to our babies’ social deficit as a result of their abrupt displacement from one of their main sources of social development —school.

The national dialogue has strengthened regarding the need for schools to reopen. So, here are some things for you to consider in order to prepare for our children’s eventual return back to school and the restoration of our sanity. Let’s go there.

Is It Safe For Our Children To Go Back to School?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and data suggest opening schools does not increase community transmission of the coronavirus, even within high rate communities.

When infection mitigation measures are in place, children under the age of 10 years-old are less likely to catch and spread the coronavirus in the ways that older children and adults do. Going to school with measures to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, has shown to be impactful in many schools that have remained open.

These measures include but are not limited to:

• Wearing masks

• Washing hands and cleaning surfaces often

• Keeping children physically distanced

• Clustering the same students and teachers together throughout the school day

• School plan for screening and tracking students

Now, older children have been found to catch and spread coronavirus no differently than adults, so it would be expected that those students may continue virtual learning or learning via a hybrid learning model, for a bit longer than the little ones.

Will My Child Need To Get The Covid-19 Vaccine In Order To Return To School?

The 3-Vaccines granted federal emergency authorization for administration, are Moderna, Pfizer, and most recently Johnson & Johnson. All found to be highly safe and effective.

Moderna

• Authorized for 18 years-old and above

• Requires 2-injections 4-weeks apart

• Children, 12 -17 years-old being studied now

Pfizer

• Authorized for 16 years-old and above

• Requires 2-injections 4-weeks apart

• Children, 12-15 years-old to be studied

Johnson & Johnson

• Authorized for 18 years-old and above

• Requires only 1-injection

• Children, 12-15 years-old to be studied.

So, it is not expected that children will be required to have the corona vaccine if they are to return to school. At least for now. Studies still need to determine dynamics, like safety, in dosing and side effects before they are authorized for children under the age of 16years-old, which is not likely to happen before the end of 2021.

Even though children make-up less than 1% of the Covid-19 deaths, the disease has been no less devasting for them. Be prepared, the vaccine will eventually be available for children, and I hope that every child would be protected from the effects of this terrible disease.

May this always be where all the children are well.

Parents, what questions or concerns do you have about your child returning to school during the Pandemic? Comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

References

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021, January, 5). COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools. https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/

2. Betz, C. L. (2020). COVID-19 and school return: The need and necessity. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 54, p7–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2020.07.015

3. Capurso, M., Dennis, J. L., Salmi, L. P., Parrino, C., & Mazzeschi, C. (2020). Empowering Children Through School Re-Entry Activities After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Continuity in Education, 1(1), p64–82. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/cie.17

4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February, 26). Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html

5. KidsHealth. (2020, October). Coronavirus (COVID-19): Is it Safe to Send Kids Back to School? https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-school.html

6. Limbers, C.A. (2021), Factors Associated with Caregiver Preferences for Children's Return to School during the COVID‐19 Pandemic. Journal of School Health, 91(1), p3-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12971

7. Mandavilli, A. (2021, February, 21). Covid Vaccines for Kids Are Coming, But Not for Many Months. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/health/covid-vaccines-children.html

8. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. (2020, March). Prioritizing Return to School for Children in COVID-19 Policy Planning. https://www.napnap.org/prioritizing-return-to-school-for-children-in-covid-19-policy-planning

9. Sheikh, A., Sheikh, A., Sheikh, Z., & Dhami, S. (2020). Reopening schools after the COVID-19 lockdown. Journal of global health, 10(1), 010376. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.010376