Urgent Need For Masks In Schools As Part Of A Vaccines Plus Strategy

A group of more than 150 doctors and scientists have today sent an open letter calling for the New Zealand Government to adopt a strengthened mitigation, or Vaccines Plus approach to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaccines Plus combines high rates of vaccination and strong public health measures, with the aim of maintaining low infection rates. Limiting infection is the best way to avoid the significant long term health complications of COVID, including Long COVID, and also societal and economic disruptions.

The letter points out that high levels of vaccination have not been enough to control infection rates during the Omicron outbreak, and that with winter approaching, waning immunity and new variants are likely to trigger further waves of infection.

The additional public health measures that VaccinesPlusNZ are urging the government to adopt, include defining and communicating a clear plan to minimise infection rates, educating the public on airborne transmission, recommending N95-type masks for use by the public, continuing the school mask mandate over the winter terms, and providing ventilation improvements in schools.

“We are all tired of COVID and COVID restrictions, but these simple measures should be viewed as protections, that operate mostly in the background, enabling us to live as close to normal lives as possible” Dr Kelvin Ward, an Urgent Care Physician, and lead author of the letter says.

Dr Anna Brooks, an Immunologist and Long COVID researcher from the University of Auckland says that allowing high levels of infection will lead to a significant health and economic burden. “Already we are seeing serious health complications from the Omicron wave despite our high levels of vaccination. Vaccinations are critical to prevent severe illness and hospitalisation, however recent data suggests that vaccination has only a minimal impact on reducing the long-term impacts from Long COVID,” Dr Brooks says.

This is why a Vaccines Plus approach, which includes strong public health measures to reduce infection rates, is so important.

www.vaccinesplus.nz

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