DETROIT – Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. He’s been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more.
READ: More answers to questions about coronavirus
If the vaccines are not 100% effective, shouldn’t my husband and I continue to wear masks even though we’re fully vaccinated to protect our 7-year-old? Is it truly safe for her to be around kids outdoors who aren’t wearing masks? I was just getting comfortable with these activities with masks but now I’m anxious about her participating.
I assume you’re asking about wearing masks in public, not at home. And at this point, for vaccinated people, masks really become a matter of personal risk assessment.
We all have a different threshold at which we’re comfortable. Getting vaccinated is definitely the most important base layer of protection we have available. And for most people, that’s enough. But masks are undoubtedly helpful and in certain circumstances that extra layer can provide more comfort.
You may also want to continue wearing masks to model that for your daughter because kids will need to continue wearing masks in many places until a vaccine is available for them.
Regarding your daughter playing outside with other unmasked children -- there are a few things to consider. The risk of spread outdoors is very low, but kids often huddle in a fort or hang out under a playscape, and that’s not truly outdoors. So you just have to consider the type of activity and contact she’s having. Big picture, because you and your husband are vaccinated, the risk of you bringing the virus home to your daughter is low -- but only you can say if it’s low enough.
There’s actually a bigger chance now that your daughter might be the one to bring the virus into your home, since she can’t be vaccinated yet and kids have very unpredictable exposures. All the more reason to make sure everyone who can be vaccinated is.