Professor tells CNN what petrifies her about sending her kids to school this year

Back in January, a Slate writer explains the “agony” of parents with children under 5 who couldn’t get vaccinated yet. When she saw on the news that the Moderna vaccine trial for kids under 5 was being extended and delayed, she felt like she’d been punched in the chest. Fortunately, a vaccine has been approved for use on kids ages 6 months to 4 years old. The thing is, a lot of parents are opting out. While clowns like Eric Feigl-Ding are trying to scare parents about monkeypox and the fall semester, many parents are happy to be sending their kids back to school without masks.

In that light, CNN decided to publish a piece by Kara Alaimo, an associate professor at Hofstra University who writes about issues affecting women and social media. Alaimo shared what petrifies her about sending her kids to school this year. She writes:

As parents like me get ready to send our kids back to school this fall, we’re required to submit paperwork proving that our children are up to date on their routine childhood vaccinations. But while kids 6 months through 4 years of age finally became eligible for Covid-19 vaccines this summer, they largely aren’t required to get them in order to go to school. On top of that, most school districts are making masks optional.

This new approach, catering to those who are anti-science and anti-public health, leaves all of our children less safe. And it forces parents like me to make impossible decisions about whether to take risks with our children’s health in order to educate them and avail ourselves of the childcare we need to work.

…

I’m outraged that I might have to keep going through episodes like this, all because of the anti-social decisions of other parents. And I’m worried about the possibility of more severe outcomes if we keep contracting the virus. But the alternative — keeping my children out of school, denying them an education and me the childcare I need in order to work — is also unacceptable.

I enjoy the author’s framing that if you’re opposed to masks in school, you’re “anti-science.”

THESE are the moms (and don’t kid yourself, there are millions of them) who made enough noise *behind the scenes* to force schools to keep kids in masks for 2.5 years.

— Rocky Mountain Optimist (@subsix848) August 6, 2022

She’s “traumatized” by the memory her one year old having a high fever. Traumatized! My kids had high fevers when they were teething. I had no idea this was a traumatic event.

— Buchfink Buck (@2to4designs) August 6, 2022

I stopped reading after the whole “anti-science” line. 🤦🏻‍♀️

— Katy〽️ (@KatyKatt77) August 6, 2022

What petrifies her is her bubble. Academia is one of the worst groups to continually feed each other fear instead of looking at real world data. The fact that other countries are taking a cautious approach to having kids should give her pause, but it didn’t.

— PollyG (@PollyGHHC) August 6, 2022

This level of anxiety cannot be good for the parents nor their children.

— Priscilla Lo (@Priscilla__Lo) August 6, 2022

🙄 Easy solution here is to hire a nanny who can accommodate her anxieties. Her kids are not even school-aged yet. Otherwise, find a private preschool that can accomodate her demands.

— Tucson Mel (@TucsonMelMel) August 6, 2022

Amazing how the author doesn't wonder why the majority of parents with kids under 11 aren't vaccinating. Perhaps they went beyond the media to the actual data weighing harms vs. benefits.

— mbab (@MaryBarbara24) August 6, 2022

Wait this article is from 2022, not 2020?

— Elk Grove Dad (@JerseyTaylorHam) August 6, 2022

Don't miss her other opinion piece from January. "And, since my baby is too young for a mask, I won't bring her to daycare" https://t.co/UtIV2omNjl

— A Robot (@myfavoriterobot) August 6, 2022

What a gigantic piece of flaming garbage this article is

— GeroDoc (@doc_gero) August 6, 2022

This article angered me more than I thought possible. The fact they're still pushing the delusion that kids are at high risk from serious illness from COVID is infuriating. This will never end as long as garbage like this is being peddled as journalism.

— Karin (@PugLuVR06) August 6, 2022

Not sure how she missed the memo that the vaccine doesn’t prevent the spread of COVID so her special vaccinated snowflakes can spread and get it as easily as the unvaccinated ones around them.

— Gina Fluffpaldi (@astralweeks82) August 6, 2022

Liberals always look to Europe for how things should be done here, except when it comes to masking and vaccinating kids.

Related:

Slate writer explains the ‘agony’ of parents with children under 5 who can’t get vaccinated yet https://t.co/xcfRE2N1IB

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 13, 2022