Dear LREI Middle School and High School Families,
I hope this note finds you well. As you have no doubt read, the FDA is on the verge of approving the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for everyone 12-years old and older and likely the Moderna vaccine soon after. I write to share our thoughts on vaccinating your children.
We cannot encourage you strongly enough to vaccinate your children as soon as they are eligible. While, at this point, we will not require the vaccine in order to return to school in September, we will likely do so as soon as we are able. In addition, it is possible that certain school activities will be available only to students who are vaccinated or who test negative for the coronavirus. Put another way, it is possible there will be restrictions on the activities available to unvaccinated and/or untested students.
Most importantly, a vaccination will make your child safer and keep our communities – LREI, your neighborhood, your family, NYC – safer and healthier. Your vaccinated child will protect those who are unable to be vaccinated. Your vaccinated child will help create a greater level of community immunity, slowing the spread of the disease and potentially impeding the growth of new variants.
I asked several community members who have been advising the school on Covid-related health matters to share their thoughts:
“The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been shown in trials to be safe and effective in children, as it is for adults, in preventing illness and disease spread. Also, the social and emotional benefits of vaccination for our adolescents will be significant. Vaccinated children will be able to socialize and to engage in extracurricular activities without fear of contracting illness, and to travel without the need to quarantine. I am excited that our kids will be able to get back to just being kids!”
“We plan to vaccinate our son as soon as he becomes eligible. Studies have shown that the Covid vaccines are safe and effective, and recent additional studies in children are showing the same. Although severe illness and death are less frequent in children, the numbers are high enough that we won’t take the risk of him remaining unprotected. Vaccinating our son will also protect vulnerable members of our family and community. The more people vaccinated, the less SARS-CoV-2 will circulate, and fewer people will die.”
“Vaccines are safe and effective. Full stop. Getting vaccinated is the single biggest step any individual can take for their health, the health of their families, and for the health of our communities. It is our best way back to pre-pandemic moments for all of us and particularly for our kids in schools!”
“The vaccine is a gift. Despite all that we have endured throughout the pandemic, we must acknowledge how fortunate we are to live in a time when science can flourish. The COVID vaccine has been proven to be extremely safe and effective in well-designed clinical trials in adults, and recent studies have demonstrated comparable safety and efficacy in children. Yet current estimates indicate that only approximately 50% of parents are expected to vaccinate their children. We can help change this and have an opportunity to lead the way as a community at LREI. My 9 year-old son will be receiving the vaccine as soon as it is available to him. I encourage all parents to do the same.”
“Vaccination of our children and youth has always been one of the marvels of modern medicine as it has the power to change the course of disease and death more than anything else we have ever done in history. As soon as the COVID vaccine becomes available for children ages 2-11, which effectively means everyone, I will not hesitate to vaccinate my children. Not just for them, but for our community, and humanity. How fortunate we are to have this opportunity on the horizon.”
If you have questions about the vaccine, please be in touch with your health care provider or with the school’s nurses. We have had very few reports of anything save for the mildest of side effects from these vaccines. If your child will miss a part of a school day to receive the vaccine, please just let us know ahead of time if possible.
We are hoping that 2021-2022 will be the most “normal,” fruitful, enjoyable, and healthy year possible for all members of the LREI community. Each vaccinated member of the community brings us that much closer to achieving this goal. Please do your part.
Peace and health,
