Safety guidelines: Can you drop COVID precautions once your child is vaccinated?
With some children getting that first shot, parents want to know when they can drop some of the COVID precautions. Doctors say the vaccination rate needs to go up - and the community spread of the virus go down - before vaccinated children ditch their masks.
Posted — UpdatedWakeMed infectious disease specialist Jessica Dixon cautions parents to not drop coronavirus precautions for their vaccinated children too soon.
"You need to still think about who you’re around and where you are," says Dixon.
She urges people to ask other parents if their kids are vaccinated before allowing an indoor playdate or accepting a party invitation.
"We still have to play it somewhat safe," says Duke Health pediatric infectious disease doctor Ibukun Kalu. "We still have to pay attention to those in your family that might be immunocompromised or have an immune system that’s not as robust as everybody else."
Some safety suggestions health experts give parents about gatherings with children:
- Keep gatherings small
- Use outdoor space if possible
- Avoid people who are ill
- Continue to practice hand washing and sanitizing
- Wear masks
Kalu says parents of vaccinated children need to assess the risks for their own family - especially if they also have kids at home who are still too young to get a shot.
Kalu says the vaccination rate needs to go up – and the community spread of the virus go down – before vaccinated children ditch their masks.
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