CDC Says Vaccinated Teachers, Students Can Ditch Masks

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in guidance issued Friday that it considers returning schools to “in-person instruction” a “priority” for the upcoming academic year, and suggested those who have been vaccinated can cease wearing face masks.

The agency’s new guidelines says that masks are “recommended” for “students, teachers, and staff” aged 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated, but remains largely silent on policies surrounding those who have been vaccinated. The agency has previously said that students should be required to wear masks through the end of the academic year, despite saying in May that vaccinated individuals in other settings could go mask-free. The CDC now says that the new guidance was aimed at making guidelines for schools “align” with rules elsewhere.

The agency noted that the guidance is merely “intended to help administrators and local health officials” determine the rules in their jurisdictions, meaning implementation around the country may vary. The CDC said schools should “work with local public health officials, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, to determine the prevention strategies needed in their area by monitoring levels of community transmission.”

In communities with a “substantial” number of new infections, the CDC said, officials might decide to continue masking requirements “until the levels of community transmission are lower or vaccination coverage increases.”

“CDC continues to recommend masking and physical distancing as key prevention strategies,” the agency said. “However, if school administrators decide to remove any of the prevention strategies for their school based on local conditions, they should remove them one at a time and monitor closely for any increases in COVID-19 cases.”