CDC Should Revise Its Guidance Mandating Masks at School
By Doug Badger
August 31, 2021 The Daily Signal
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “universal indoor masking of all students age 2 and older.”
But there’s just one problem: The leading study on which the CDC bases this recommendation found that the COVID-19 infection rate in schools requiring students to wear masks “was not statistically significant compared with schools where mask use was optional.”
This gap between science and CDC recommendations is hardly unique. The health agency’s policy notices often rest on shaky foundations. That is especially true when it comes to schools.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should revise its guidance on the masking of schoolchildren and clearly communicate that its current guidance isn’t backed by sound evidence…
Some parents still may insist that their children attend only schools that require students to wear masks. But more honest communication by the CDC would clarify that this is a clash over parental preferences, not over science…
Following the lead of states such as Florida and Arizona, parents should be able to take their child’s share of per-pupil funding to a learning environment that reflects their health and education needs.