California is set to broadly reopen in exactly one week, and many are wondering how to navigate a less restricted state, especially considering children 11-and-under still aren’t vaccinated.
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, Professor of Health and Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford, said overall the state is in a tremendous position.
"I think we’re at a really good point," Dr. Maldonado told KCBS Radio’s "Ask An Expert" on Tuesday. "It was a really slow and terrible journey, but it’s brought us to this point when we’ve seen a really big reduction in cases."
She warned that cases plummeting and rules loosening does not give people the green light to immediately return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles.
"We still should be more cautious than just swinging the doors open and going back to where we were," Dr. Maldonado said. "We’re just going to have to play it by ear in the coming weeks."
Medical progress continues to be made every day, including towards inoculating the final and youngest age groups left without access to the shot. Vaccine trials for five-to 11-year-olds started this week and they’re moving at a rapid clip, according to Dr. Maldonado.
She said she hopes that will be available by the fall.
However, children under five may have to wait a little longer as those studies are still proceeding cautiously.
"I don’t know that there will be a vaccine (for children under five) until the end of the calendar year," Dr. Maldonado said.
Despite the long wait, she emphatically reassured any worried parents that schools are safe to reopen. Even before the vaccine was released, she and the American Association of Pediatrics issued a statement which advocated for schools to welcome students back.
"Many schools have been open already. Even without a vaccine, kids can be safe," Dr. Maldonado said. "It’s all about community transmission and making sure within the school there are the proper precautions. So when schools have those, meaning most people being vaccinated, the younger ones are going to be safe in the bubble of vaccinated individuals at schools."
"For their mental health and development they really do need to get back to social learning situations that are properly set up," she added.
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