Rep. Schrier Sends Letter to President Biden Urging the Prioritization of Quality Masks for Children

Quality masks would help keep schools open and protect kids who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated

ISSAQUAH, WA – Today Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his Administration to take action on making more quality masks available for children. The Biden Administration announced this week that they will be making 400 million N95 masks free for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country.

In her letter, Rep. Schrier calls this a “smart investment to us return to some degree of normalcy.” But points out that N95 masks are designed for adults and high quality KN95 masks for children are expensive and difficult to find. When parents can find them, it is difficult to know whether they are buying authentic ones or counterfeits.

Rep. Schrier, a pediatrician, continued, “My top priority is to keep children in classrooms. And to keep kids safely in school we need a layered approach that includes high quality masks when there is significant spread of disease in the community… After all, while many adults can choose to work from home and avoid exposure altogether, our children spend six or more hours every day in classrooms with dozens of others.”

The full text of the letter can be found below.

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Dear President Biden,

Thank you for taking another important step today to help protect Americans from COVID-19. We know that wearing a high-quality mask in indoor spaces is one of the important ways we can curtail the spread of COVID-19. In the midst of the Omicron surge, your effort to make 400 million N95 masks free for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country is a smart investment to help us return to some degree of normalcy.

However, these masks are designed for adults. I urge you to take immediate comparable action for children and to provide clear information to help parents identify legitimate KN95 options for children. After all, while many adults can choose to work from home and avoid exposure altogether, our children spend 6 or more hours every day in classrooms with dozens of others.

As a pediatrician I have heard from countless parents over the past two years. They are overwhelmed and exhausted. Particularly for parents of children under 5 who are too young to be vaccinated, every ordinary decision continues to be a risk-benefit calculation of how to keep their family safe. And while there is significant regional variation, fewer than 20% of kids ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. My top priority is to keep children in classrooms. And to keep kids safely in school we need a layered approach that includes high-quality masks when there is significant spread of disease in the community. This is particularly important while vaccination rates remain low, and with a disease that is often spread by people without symptoms.

N95 masks are not designed for children, and high quality KN95 masks for children are expensive and hard to find. When parents are able to find them, it is difficult to know whether they are buying authentic ones or counterfeits. That is why it is imperative that the Administration act to prioritize manufacturing and distribution of high-quality masks for children and share clear guidance to help families make the best choices to keep their children safe.

I am grateful for the steps your Administration has taken to protect adults and urge you to take immediate action to prioritize children.

Sincerely,

Kim Schrier, M.D.

MEMBER OF CONGRESS