NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials say vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the new guidelines Friday. The changes come after a growing national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general decline in recent months in COVID hospitalizations and deaths. The guidance generally leaves it to local officials to figure out how to ensure the unvaccinated are using precautions while letting those who are fully protected go mask-free. The biggest questions will be at middle schools where some students are eligible for shots and others aren’t.
Photo: Nurse Practitioner Amber Vitale inoculates Stanley Pena, 13, with the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Mount Sinai South Nassau Vaxmobile parked at the De La Salle School, Friday, May 14, 2021, in Freeport, N.Y. The De La Salle School partnered with the Vaxmobile Friday to help Long Island students 12 and over receive the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as part of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s mobile vaccination program. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
