Starting June 15, California is expected to relax most of the indoor mask mandates for people who are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dr. Cindy Holt of Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center said, “And get the facts before you just put yourself, others, and children at risk.”
However, children under twelve are still ineligible to be vaccinated and remain vulnerable to the virus.
With people soon able to walk around without a mask, it is increasingly difficult to discern between who has been vaccinated and who hasn't.
Dr. Holt said of parents, “I would inform them that you can pass this virus to children, especially if you’re not vaccinated. If it’s your child, then as a parent I think you need to be informed and think about that decision. And understand that even though the word out there is that the illness is not severe in kids, that’s true but there are these post conditions things that could happen, that don’t make it just no big deal in kids. There can be ramifications.”
According to the respective County websites and of their most recent numbers, San Luis Obispo County saw a total of more than one thousand eight hundred COVID cases in people seventeen and younger.
In Santa Barbara County, the total was more than three thousand cases.
Teresa Stevens, a mother of two, said “I actually have an eleven year old and she cannot get a vaccine yet. You know, it’s worrisome. She always wears a mask everywhere she goes. Washes hands and everything.”
And Dr. Stevens said even if you someone is vaccinated, they can pass on the virus to someone else, including a child.
Our team spoke with a few mothers about how they feel about it.
Stevens said, “As a mother, I would still want my children to wear a mask until they are fully vaccinated, I myself am fully vaccinated and I still wear a mask.”
Ashley Kitauchi, a mother of five, held a different view, “I’m actually looking forward to the mask thing being a little more relaxed. Giving the kids a sense of normalcy because they’ve kind of been in this pandemic and it’s way different for them, they’re having to adapt to a whole different world. So we’re looking forward to the change.”
Bibiana Mendoza, a mother of three, said, “For my baby boy, he doesn’t keep it on. And it’s hard for me to keep mine on because then he’ll yank mine off my face. So it’s hard for him. But my girls, they love it."
