The White House says it will make more high-quality masks available for kids
The White House says it is planning to distribute masks for children. The announcement comes as many states have been dropping mask requirements for schoolchildren. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The Biden administration will soon make more high-quality masks available for kids.
Dr. Tom Inglesby, senior adviser to the White House COVID- 19 Response Team, said in a briefing on Wednesday that 230 million masks have already been delivered to pharmacies and community health centers. And now, he said, there will be an expanded effort focused on children.
“We are now in the process of planning for the distribution of masks for children. And we’ll have more to say about that in the days ahead. But there’s a commitment to do that, and there’s a process underway, certainly, for all adults to get masks now for free at pharmacies and community health clinics across the country,” Inglesby said.
It is not yet clear what type of masks will be distributed. Standard masks do not always fit small faces well.
Children under 5 are not yet able to receive vaccines, and vaccination for children old enough to receive the vaccine lags other groups.
The CDC recommends that anyone age 2 or older who is not vaccinated to wear masks in indoor public spaces.
The move comes as many states have recently been dropping mask requirements for schoolchildren.
This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.
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