Fauci says ‘enjoy Halloween’ ahead of expected push to vaccinate school-age children
Children can partake in trick-or-treating and other traditional Halloween activities, the country’s top infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci said — a recommendation that could reassure parents as the United States gears up to distribute millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine to school-age kids as soon as early November, pending regulatory approval.
The White House’s chief medical adviser said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that trick-or-treating is safe, “particularly” for children who are already vaccinated, because it mostly takes place outdoors, where the airborne coronavirus does not spread as easily. It’s a sign of how health recommendations for Americans are evolving with the uptake of vaccines,as traditional Halloween celebrations last year were discouraged by federal health agencies.
“It’s a good time to reflect on why it’s important to get vaccinated,” Fauci said, “but go out there and enjoy Halloween, as well as the other holidays that will be coming up.”