How can I protect a child too young to be vaccinated from COVID-19?
Children under the age of 5 cannot yet be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the United States, but there are steps that can be taken to protect them from infection during the holidays.
“Surround them with vaccinated adults and siblings, with boosters if possible,” recommends Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
She also advises getting tested for COVID-19 at home before family gatherings.
The CDC recommends that anyone who is not vaccinated – including children 2 years of age and older – wear masks in public when indoors. If your child is younger than 2 years old — or unable to wear a mask for other reasons — the agency suggests limiting meetings with unvaccinated people. And he says to maintain social distancing between the minor and others in public places.
Adults may also choose to wear masks in public to set an example for children, the CDC says. But in the coronavirus outbreaks, he adds that everyone should wear masks in these circumstances, regardless of whether they are vaccinated.
Matthew Binnicker, an expert on viral infections at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says it might be a good idea for everyone at family gatherings to wear masks if there are unvaccinated children, as there is the potential for vaccinated adults to spread the virus.
He also suggests limiting meetings to 10 people or less.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, says family gatherings shouldn’t be confused with “parties with 30, 40 or 50 people” where you don’t know who is vaccinated.
“Those are the type of celebrations – in the context of COVID and particularly the omicron – that you should not go to,” he said.
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