Fauci: Universal Masking in Schools for Everyone over 2-Years Old ‘the Reasonable Thing to Do’

Monday on CNN’s “At This Hour,” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr. Anthony Fauci reacted to new COVID-19 guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending universal masking in school of everyone over the age of two — regardless of vaccination status.

According to Fauci, that guidance to return to in-person school is “the reasonable thing to do.”

“[I] think that’s along the same lines as what we’ve seen with the health authorities in Los Angeles, which in the general population has said the same thing, that when you have a degree of viral dynamics in the community, and you have a substantial proportion of the population that is unvaccinated, that you really want to go the extra step, the extra mile to make sure that there is not a lot of transmission even breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals,” Fauci advised.

“And for that reason, you can understand why the American Academy of Pediatrics might want to do that,” he continued. “They just want to be extra safe. I think — you know, it’s important, the CDC recommendations may be at variance with that, but in every respect, the CDC always leaves open the flexibility at the part of local agencies, local enterprises, local cities and states to make a judgment call based on the situation on the ground. So, I think that the American Academy of Pediatrics, you know, they’re a thoughtful group. They analyze the situation, and if they feel that’s the way to go, I think that’s the reasonable thing to do.”

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