Schools should ‘probably’ be open in the fall despite no vaccines for kids, Biden says

President Joe Biden said in an interview Friday that all schools should “probably” reopen in the fall despite a lack of vaccines for children.

“Based on the science and the CDC, they should probably all be open,” Biden said in an interview that aired on NBC’s Today. “There’s not overwhelming evidence there’s much of a transmission among these people, young people.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, said “kids of any age” should be able to get vaccinated by the beginning of 2022, CNN reported. Pfizer asked the FDA in February to change the emergency use authorization of its vaccine to include children ages 12-15. The vaccine is currently authorized for people ages 16 and older. Both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for those 18 and older.

The CDC has released guidance for reopening schools, stressing the importance of masks, social distancing and regularly cleaning classrooms in order to prevent spreading COVID at schools.

“Evidence suggests that many K-12 schools that have strictly implemented prevention strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open,” according to the CDC.

Biden originally pledged in December to reopen most schools during his first 100 days in office, saying it was “a national priority to get our kids back into school and keep them in school.”

“The President will not rest until every school is open five days a week. That is our goal,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a White House briefing.

In a survey by The New York Times of 175 pediatric disease experts, 86% said vaccines are not a mandatory requirement to reopening schools, so long as other social distancing measures are in place.

Several teachers unions have resisted reopening schools, saying they believe there aren’t enough safety measures in place for school staff, USA Today reported.

Republicans have urged reopening schools and called on Biden and Democrats to support the move, according to The New York Times.

“It is a good issue because people care about it,” said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri. “I think everybody is hearing the same thing from their constituents: Kids are not learning what they ought to learn, and this is having a huge impact on the way families hope to live.”