A Cornell University virologist says the biggest issue facing schools when students return from winter break Monday is getting them vaccinated.
CNY Central quotes Gary Whitaker as saying “I think there’s a lot of hard decisions that are going to have to be made. It’s clearly a very transmissible virus and one that needs a full triple vaccine, [including] boosters scheduled to be really protective.” He says many students are still ineligible for boosters, which have been authorized only for those 16 and older. He says while it appears the Omicron variant is less severe than previous mutations of the virus, it’s very transmissible and should be taken seriously.
Whitaker says the key for schools and school kids are vaccinations, boosters for those who are eligible, quality masks and testing. He says overall, schools have not been a major source of COVID-19 spread so far.
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