Quick Links:

• COVID-19 Vaccination Resources from the CDC:

  • The Benefits of Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

  • Myths and Facts about the Vaccines

  • COVID-19 Vaccination of Minors

  • U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information – Official CDC guidance for clinicians on each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

  • Key Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines – Official CDC guidance that can be shared with parents and practice staff on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as how they’re developed and approved by the FDA.

  • Myocarditis and Pericarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination – These reports are rare, given the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses administered, and have been reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in adolescents and young adults.

  • COVID-19 Vaccine: What Pediatricians Can Do Nowexternal icon (American Academy of Pediatrics)

  • About the COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questionsexternal icon (American Academy of Pediatrics)

• PreK-12 Health and Safety Guidance for the 2021-22 School Year (Updated August 13, 2021)

• Back to School guidance for the 2021-22 school year: 

  • COVID-19 Facilities and Physical Plant Guidance to Reopen RI's Schools

  • COVID-19 Facilities and Physical Plant School Checklist

  • Phase III Guidelines for Ventilation

• Health guidance:

  • Outbreak Response Protocols: PreK-12 ("Playbook"): English / Português / Español 

  • COVID-19 PreK-12 Symptoms Provider Handbook

  • School-Based Testing & Case Investigation Preparation Guidance

  • K-12 Asymptomatic Testing Playbook

  • School Positive Case Template Letter: English / Português / Español

  • School Past Quarantine Template Letter: English / Português / Español

    School Direct Contact Template

Masks

• • There are many viewpoints regarding masking and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies -- just as there were when research into vehicular accidents compelled states to enact mandatory seatbelt laws. We all resisted it at the outset. I do remember that. Nowadays, just about everybody buckles up.COVID-19 infection is transmitted predominantly by inhalation of respiratory droplets generated when individuals (including children) cough, sneeze, sing, talk, or breathe. Multi-layer cloth masks block release of exhaled respiratory particles into the environment, along with the organisms they carry.

    The scientific evidence supporting mask mandates as a reasonable public health intervention for preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection among humans is well established and incontrovertible.

    • Efficacy of face masks, neck gaiters and face shields for reducing the expulsion of simulated cough-generated aerosols: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02786826.2020.1862409? scroll=top&needAccess=true

    • Visualizing the effectiveness of face masks in obstructing respiratory jets: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327717/

    • Face coverings and mask to minimise droplet dispersion and aerosolisation: a video case study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32709611/

    • Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371934/

    • Testing the efficacy of homemade masks: would they protect in an influenza pandemic?:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24229526

    • Research indicates that with masking requirements and student cohorting, transmission risk within schools has been

    • relatively low.  

    • COVID-19 Cases and Transmission in 17 K–12 Schools:  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e3.htm

    Additionally, several studies indicate that success in preventing the introduction of COVID-19 into schools during the 2020-2021 academic school year depended upon controlling community transmission and adhering to mitigation measures in schools, particularly masking, physical distancing, testing, and increasing room air ventilation.

    • COVID-19 in Primary and Secondary School Settings During the First Semester of School Reopening: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7012e2.htm

    • Data and Policy to Guide Opening Schools Safely to Limit the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2775875

    • COVID-19 Trends Among Persons Aged 0–24 Years — United States: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7003e1.htm?s_cid=mm7003eJ_w

    • Summary of Guidance for Public Health Strategies to Address High Levels of Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Deaths: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6949e2.htm?s_cid=mm6949e2_w

    • The use of face masks among children has not been associated with changes in respiratory function, including among children aged 24 months or younger.

    • Assessment of Respiratory Function in Infants and Young Children Wearing Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2776928