all children are at risk of developing long-term issues from airborne pathogens that cause serious illness. we have children with diagnosed autoimmune issues at high risk in schools. that can be easily prevented.
however, we have a serious problem. our current government is preventing good public health education and preventive measures in schools. if only everyone understood the parental fear of something happening to their child that could have been prevented.
would the minister of education mandate all children to eat peanuts? would she mandate the removal of all epipens from schools? if a child died from a severe allergic reaction due to her mandates, would she shrug her shoulders and say, “these things happen?” no. yet why is she treating prevention for peanut allergies with more respect than simple preventive measures for life-threatening airborne viruses?
current government decision-makers have removed simple, logical, protective measures in schools, and provided zero ability for schools and communities to engage in collaboration with local health authorities to make public-health decisions that benefit children.
this is irresponsible negligence, government overreach, and an appalling ignorance of the importance of best practices in public health prevention and promotion and the importance of localized decision-making in schools and communities.