Stanford Expert’s Comments on Masking Young Children

During a hearing on Tuesday, infectious disease expert Jake Scott from Stanford University confirmed to Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio about the federal guidelines regarding masks for young children. The Head Start program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will require masks for two-year-olds until a federal judge in Texas issues a suspension in 2023. Moreno questioned various witnesses about whether two-year-olds should wear masks during the pandemic, in a session titled “How Science Corruption Has Affected Public Perception and Policy Regarding Vaccines.”

Moreno reminisced about a tweet from January 2021 where he expressed the sentiment that he should keep his two-year-old hidden, mentioning, “I’ll submit a tweet for the record.” In response, Scott mentioned, “I changed my mind… I’m accepting it,” which drew applause from the attendees after Moreno acknowledged his comment.

A study published in June 2021 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics indicated that mask-wearing among children could result in elevated levels of carbon dioxide in both the air they inhale and exhale. This research, conducted by a group of doctors from Germany, Poland, and Austria, suggested that children should not be mandated to wear face coverings.

The question of whether children need to wear masks has sparked intense debate throughout the pandemic. Some argue that while children may spread the virus, they are generally at less risk from severe illness. Critics, on the other hand, have claimed that masks are unnecessary and could be detrimental to children’s health.

As of June 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advised that unvaccinated children aged two and older should wear masks indoors. Dr. Anthony Fauci reiterated this guidance in May 2021, emphasizing the importance of masking for unvaccinated minors.