COVID 19 Vaccine Campaign
July 22, 2021
Dear Nebraska School Communities,
Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects. Although we have stayed connected and endured these challenges together, COVID-19 has greatly disrupted the usual way of teaching for staff and learning for students across the state. It has forced everyone to adapt in ways we probably never anticipated.
Throughout the last year, numerous measures have been implemented to ensure the health and safety of Nebraska students and to continue academic progress. Schools have masked up, transitioned to virtual learning, and paused many school activities; measures which have successfully limited the spread of illness in our communities. Educators and school staff have persevered through all these challenges, and the medical community is extremely grateful for all your hard work.
We are writing to encourage Nebraska schools to continue to follow recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to keep our students and staff safe as we continue to see rising cases of COVID in our state.
- AlleligibleNebraskaschoolstaffandstudentsshouldbevaccinatedagainstCOVID-19. Gettingvaccinatedoffers an added layer of protection against COVID-19 that could also protect your school’s staff and students, families, and community. All COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are safe and effective.
- Universal masking for students older than 2 years and staff is still recommended in school settings, even for those who are vaccinated. Students under 12 years old cannot be vaccinated yet. The COVID-19 Delta variant spreads more quickly than previous variants, and masks provide an extra layer of protection for everyone, especially for our most vulnerable children who have not had the advantage of immunization.
- Students and staff who are directly exposed to COVID-19 should quarantine and isolate according to CDC guidelines.Stopping this pandemic requires using all the tools we have available: vaccines, masks, and appropriate testing and contract tracing. These are the tools that will allow Nebraska’s children to continue to benefit from the in-person education that we know our schools do best. Your health and safety continue to be our priority. There are many retail pharmacy locations and mass vaccination sites across the state. Visit www.vaccines.gov to find a location convenient to you. If you want to know more about COVID-19 vaccines, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/vaccines. The AAP’s full return- to-schoolguidelinesarehere: https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical- guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations -return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/.We as Nebraskans have stood together this year, and we need to stand together again to help stop this virus. COVID -19 vaccination is a safe and effective means to help us do that. It takes all of us. Please take care of yourself this summer.
Sincerely,
Melissa St. Germain, MD, FAAP
Vice President & Medical Director
of Children’s Physicians and Urgent Care
Alice I. Sato, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor, UNMC, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Hospital Epidemiologist, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
The Fruitful Toolkit has been updated to include promoting vaccines for children ages 6 months and older.
Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects, and the best way to keep schools and communities safe from the virus is to increase vaccination rates.
To make it easier for schools to send messages related to the COVID-19 vaccine to children and adolescents, staff and families, Children’s has developed the Fruitful campaign, in partnership with Nebraska Department of Education’s Healthy Schools Program. With the help of Children’s medical experts, the campaign messages are fact-based and accurate.
The Fruitful COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit is free and we encourage schools to use the resources below to send positive and factual messages to students and families about the benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The sooner we increase our vaccination rates, the sooner we get back to the version of life that we all miss.
Let’s make it a fruitful school year!