Here at New Canaan, we are often asked when we think COVID-19 will “end” and things will return to normal. Like our families, we also can’t wait until things are back to where they used to be. We do know that we simply won’t get back to normal until everyone does three very vital things.
1) Get Everyone Vaccinated. Now.
The most important thing families can do is get everyone eligible vaccinated and boosted. Everyone 5 years old and over are now eligible to be vaccinated with a two-dose schedule from Pfizer-BioNTech as authorized and approved by the FDA. Everyone 12 and over should also get a booster five months after their second dose. These vaccines are safe. Over 5 million children have received the vaccine and have experienced no serious side effects.
2) Socialize with “Safe” Families
Playdates help us all feel normal again! Gather your kids with kids who are vaccinated, boosted, and not showing symptoms of illness. This also goes for grandparents and other family members; vaccinated people can have normal, unmasked interactions with other vaccinated people.
We understand that for families with under-5 unvaccinated children, gathering can be extremely difficult. You know which friends and family members share your views, have all eligible children vaccinated and practice the same safety measures. Everyone over the age of two should wear a multi-layered, finely woven mask. Make sure toys are disinfected frequently, that sneezes are covered, that hands are washed often and that pod members understand that any coughing or runny noses means staying home.
3) Get Tested Frequently
If you suspect you or your child has been exposed to COVID-19 or has a runny nose, cough or fever, complete a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. Knowing your family’s COVID-19 status and taking steps to stop infections is vital to stopping this pandemic.
When your child tests negative, no worries! Continue masking in public spaces and enjoy gathering.
If the test is positive, isolate positive people for 5 days, or according to the most recent CDC guidelines. Be sure other family members wear an N-95 mask when they are near the infected individual and keep them away from everyone else as much as possible. Contact everyone your infected individual has been near for 2-3 days before symptoms appeared or before they tested.
1) Get Everyone Vaccinated. Now.
Thinking you read this recommendation before? Yes, you did, because it bears repeating and repeating, again and again. As we stated earlier, the only way out of this is comprehensive vaccination for everyone who is eligible. As of Tuesday, just 17% of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. We cannot stop this pandemic if children are not protected and quickly. As the pandemic continues, more children are becoming infected, more children are being hospitalized and more children are experiencing serious, long-term health complications as a result of COVID-19. It’s not okay to let your child get it – it can be very serious to get COVID-19 at any age.
If you are hesitant to get your child vaccinated, please message us through your portal with any questions. All of us at New Canaan want what is best for your individual child and our community, and we also want you as a parent to be completely comfortable.
Getting back to normal means everyone doing what needs to be done – and that means vaccination for everyone eligible as soon as possible.