COVID-19: Health officials urge continued precautions for young children

A pharmacist prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Health.

(AP Photo/Noah Berger, Pool)

COVID-19: Health officials urge continued precautions for young children

Butler County Health Department Administrator Emily Goodin reminds parents and grandparents the COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available for children under 12, and she suggests ways to keep children safe and healthy this summer.

“Summer break is here, and many Missouri families are eager to help their kids return to a sense of normalcy after another atypical school year, but the COVID-19 vaccine is not yet authorized for children under 12, so it will be important that families with younger children continue taking safety measures while having fun in the sun,” public health officials remind everyone.

“COVID-19 is still in the community,” Goodin said. Families should “still follow the guidelines. Children under the age of 12 should continue to wear masks. If they are sick, they should stay home. If they are sick, don’t take them to the pool or daycare.”

Health experts are also sharing best practices to help these families stay healthy during the summer months.

Though children and teens have a lower risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, unvaccinated children can become infected and some have developed serious complications.

The successful reopening of schools in the fall will depend on the ability to keep COVID-19 cases among children low during the summer, officials have said.

Ways to help youth stay healthy in the summer are by encouraging safety measures, including:

• Frequent hand washing

• Practicing physical distancing and choosing outdoor activities

• Masking, especially when indoors and when physical distancing isn’t possible

• Testing and quarantining after exposure

• Adults can model these behaviors to make them easier for children

The health department is offering free coronavirus testing weekly for Missouri residents. Scheduled rapid testing will be done every Wednesday by appointment only in Butler County. To schedule a test, go to https://www.butlercountyhealth.org/. Look for “Vaccine Registration & Coronavirus Info” and click the “Book Now” icon, or call 877-435-8411 to set up your appointment.

The local health department is working with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) on distributing the COVID-19 vaccination to the area.

Since the governor has opened the vaccine to all Missouri residents, the staff will be hosting vaccination clinics weekly at the health department. Follow the link https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator/, or call 877-435-8411 to set up an appointment.

The county’s death total was 58 at the last report, with a total number of cases at 4,600.