VANCOUVER — British Columbia's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, is defending the province's back-to-school pandemic guidelines against calls from some parent and teacher groups for more stringent COVID-19 protocols.
The guidelines released Thursday encourage pupils and others to get vaccinated and to stay home when they are sick, while masking remains optional and is described as being a"personal or family choice."
Clint Johnston, president of the BC Teachers Federation, said the union believes schools require stronger measures than businesses or public spaces and is calling for better ventilation in classrooms and masking requirements. Jennifer Heighton, co-founder of Safe Schools Coalition BC, said the organization was"extremely frustrated" to hear the year would be starting"without better protections in classroom, such as universal masking with better masks provided and HEPA filtration."
"What's really important is staying up-to-date on vaccinations for all of the vaccine-preventable diseases that we give to kids," she said. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization said children with underlying medical conditions or who are immunocompromised, putting them at greater risk of severe infection from COVID-19, should get a booster at least six months after receiving their second shot.
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