Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Summer Camps: CDC Eases Mask Rules For Vaccinated Youths
Axios: CDC: Adolescents With COVID Vaccine Can Remove Masks Outdoors At Camps
Adolescents vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to remove face masks if they're outside at summer camps, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday. Critics had called CDC guidance, issued last month, stating that everyone at summer camps should be masked unless eating, drinking or swimming "unfairly draconian." (Falconer, 5/5)
In related pediatric news —
Axios: Schools Unlikely To Require COVID Vaccine As Teens Become Eligible
Even if most middle and high schoolers become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine over the summer, most schools aren't likely to mandate them, at least not this year. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds soon. (Fernandez, 5/6)
AP: Biden Hits Schools Goal Even As Many Students Learn Remotely
President Joe Biden has met his goal of having most elementary and middle schools open for full, in-person learning in his first 100 days, according to new survey data, but the share of students choosing to return has continued to lag far behind. The survey, conducted in March by the Education Department and released Thursday, found that 54% of public schools below high school were offering full-time classroom learning to any student who wanted it. It marks steady progress since January, when the figure was 46%. (Binkley, 5/6)
CNN: Kids And The Covid-19 Vaccine: A Pediatrician Answers Safety Questions
The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant emergency use authorization next week to Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for teens and children ages 12 to 15. According to CNN estimates, that would make another 5% of the population -- nearly 17 million teens -- eligible to be vaccinated. (LaMotte, 5/5)
