As the new school year approaches, some shoreline towns are holding clinics this week to help increase COVID vaccination rates among students.
In Guilford, where 53 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 15 are fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Public Health, two clinics will be held this week. A clinic will be held Monday at Guilford High School and Tuesday at the Town Green.
In Madison, where 46 percent of kids 12 to 15 are vaccinated, a clinic will be held Wednesday at Daniel Hand High School.
About 90,000 children statewide in this age group have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, according to the DPH. More than 75,000 — about 43 percent of the Connecticut population in this age range — have been fully vaccinated, the data shows.
Nine shoreline towns — Lyme, Old Saybrook, Clinton, Guilford, East Hampton, Old Lyme, Madison, East Lyme and Branford — are above the state average.
More than 60 percent of children in this age group in Old Saybrook, Lyme and Clinton have received at least one shot of the vaccine, the data shows. In Lyme, nearly 57 percent of these children are fully vaccinated. Clinton is at 55 percent and Old Saybrook is at 54 percent fully vaccinated.
At just under 50 percent, Branford and East Lyme are the only shoreline communities that have not yet fully vaccinated at least half of their children in this age group, the data shows.
But it remains uncertain how the vaccination rates will impact whether students and staff will be required to wear masks when they return to school in the fall.
East Hampton and Lyme-Old Lyme school districts have announced they will not require masks in the fall. However, Lyme-Old Lyme Superintendent Ian Nevaiser pointed out last month that regardless of how local districts want to proceed, they will need to comply if the state requires masks.
Gov. Ned Lamont has said he needs more time to evaluate the highly contagious delta strain’s impact before deciding on whether to lift the school mask mandate.
The DPH and state Department of Education mask guidance is included in Connecticut’s return-to-school document that outlines procedures required and recommended for public school districts.
Many school reopening plans come from the CSDE return-to-school document, which serves as a template for each district. The statewide planning document includes details on classroom layout, lunch, transportation, recess and more.
Local school district plans include lunch returning to normal, morning health screenings by parents to make sure their child’s temperature is below 100 degrees, social distancing when possible and hand sanitizer stations around the schools.
After-school clubs will also resume at many schools in the fall.
These reopening plans will be reviewed every six months or when there is a sudden change in data related to the pandemic.
“Our children benefit most from in-person learning, and our priority of a safe return to in-person instruction this fall can be achieved by remaining vigilant on what we know works including vaccinating the maximum number of students and staff eligible,” DPH spokesperson Christopher Boyle said in a statement when asked whether vaccination rates will impact mask mandates in schools.
“Achieving and maintaining high vaccination coverage in schools is the best tool we have to make sure that the school year is free from interruption and disruption from outbreaks and the resulting need for students or teachers to quarantine,” Boyle said. “In support of this goal, DPH and CSDE will continue collaboration in offering on-site clinics in schools.”
christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
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Will shoreline youth COVID vaccination rates impact school mask mandates? - CT Insider
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