Now that the CDC has relaxed mask guidelines, many people are confused about the best way to protect their family – especially families with young children that are not currently eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
13 ON YOUR SIDE viewer Rick Schelhas in Muskegon asks us to Verify:
"Should vaccinated parents of young unvaccinated children go without masks in public if returning home to their kids?"
Our sources:
Dr. Nirali Bora, Medical Director at the Kent County Health Department
Dr. Rosemary Olivero, Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
"What we understand with the vaccine is that it is really effective at preventing COVID-19 in those who have been vaccinated," says Dr. Bora. "Those who do tend to get COVID after getting vaccinated is quite rare, and they tend to have a mild illness and they're much less likely to pass it on to others."
"In general, it would be safe that if you're a fully vaccinated person, you've have your full vaccine series plus two weeks that that would generally is a safe thing to do," says Dr. Olivero.
So according to our sources, we can Verify that yes, vaccinated parents of unvaccinated kids can feel confident to be in public without masks in accordance with the CDC guidelines, and returning home. However, the experts say that everyone should determine the safest practices for their family.
"At this point we do feel comfortable that parents who are vaccinated can go unmasked as long as their children at home don't have underlying health conditions," says Dr. Bora.
Experts recommend that children ages 2-11should continue to wear masks in public and at indoor gatherings with people outside of the household.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.