Fully vaccinated students don't need masks -CDC

With the new school year approaching, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said it’s prioritizing the importance of in-person learning, and outlined steps to do so safely.

Updating its guidance for all kindergarten through grade 12 schools, the CDC said that students, faculty and staff who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks indoors.

But, individuals who are not fully vaccinated – including students – should continue to wear masks indoors and be spaced three feet apart.

Currently, anyone 12 years of age and older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

Schools throughout the U.S. began to close in March of 2020 as the health crisis began to spread, and many students were shifted to online learning at home.

The latest guidance, which stressed the importance of in-person learning, suggested that schools can reopen even if physical distancing is not always possible.

The CDC said the updated roadmap is appropriate even with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

The agency added that if schools decide to remove protective measures based on local conditions, they should remove them one at a time – and should monitor closely for increases in COVID-19 cases before eliminating the next safety measure.

A study by the CDC also released Friday showed that half of unvaccinated adolescents and parents of unvaccinated adolescents reported being uncertain about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, or did not intend to get one at all.