School is starting and masks can be especially important for children younger than age 12, who are not yet eligible for the COVID vaccines. 🧵 Here's some real talk about masks as kids are #BackTogether this fall.🧵
Research shows that schools where children and adults are consistently masked are effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. COVID remains a serious threat to children’s health. Universal masking can help make in-person learning safe this fall. services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-… 
We want our children back to school in-person, but many students will not yet be eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines. Masks are an important layer of protection to keep students and staff safe. healthychildren.org/English/health…
Face masks do not reduce oxygen intake. Carbon dioxide molecules are very tiny, even smaller than respiratory droplets. They cannot be trapped by breathable materials like cloth or disposable masks. healthychildren.org/English/health…
Babies and young children study faces, so you may worry that having masked caregivers would harm children’s language development. There are no studies to support this concern. Young children will use other clues like gestures and tone of voice. healthychildren.org/English/health…
Getting good protection from a mask may take extra attention for children with special health care needs, but it's possible and effective. Find tips here to help your child get used to wearing a mask and how to get it to fit correctly: healthychildren.org/English/health…
Masking now will help us end the pandemic sooner. Wearing a mask is a simple step we can all take to protect children and save lives.
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