April 26, 2022 Testing was a critical part of camps’ strategy to prevent and contain COVID-19 in summer 2021, and we see it playing an important role this summer as well. The right strategy for each camp may well differ due to your ‘COVID-19 goal’. Is your approach to do everything possible to keep COVID-19 […]
April 6, 2022 Variations in international vaccines and vaccine schedules can cause confusion when trying to figure out who is “fully vaccinated” and “up-to-date”. We often get asked questions about how camps should manage international vaccines. Here are a few of them…feel free to let us know if you have others! There are three vaccines […]
We are going into the third month of children ages 5-11 years of age having access to the COVID-19 vaccine that has been shown to decrease illness (including MIS-C), hospitalizations and death. As of January 5, 2022, the CDC recorded 7 million US children ages 5-11 have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine representing 25% […]
We know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 decreases risk of hospitalization and death, even with our most recent variant, Omicron. But data is increasingly showing this effect on the broader population level. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram analysis compared highly vaccinated coastal counties Cumberland, Lincoln and Sagadahoc with three counties that are not, Somerset, […]
October 31, 2021 Last week the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 years of age and it is anticipated the CDC will green light the vaccine by mid week. The winter holidays may be a lot safer for children and families as we ponder what celebrations we might be able to plan. But, […]
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is rightfully all over the news as it quickly becomes the predominant strain of the virus worldwide due to its higher infectivity. Delta is estimated to be 50% more infective than the predominant strain of COVID-19, which was already 50% more infective than the original strain. What this means is […]
July 2021 “How the diverse and creative camp community works toward layering NPIs to achieve that goal will look different — yet we must learn from prior outbreaks that negative tests alone may not sufficiently help us meet that goal.” Read more from Dr. Blaisdell and Dr. Gaslin of the Association of Camp Nurses.
May 28, 2021 The federal CDC updated their camp guidance today to reflect the changing landscape of masks and vaccination in the day and overnight camp settings. The full guidance can be found here, but some highlights for overnight camps are below. In general, there are no major changes to the guidance we have been providing […]
Vaccine breakthrough cases are expected. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and are a critical tool to bring the pandemic under control. However, no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness. There will be a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated who still get sick, are hospitalized, or die from COVID-19. A recent CDC report […]
“I expect 10 times the number of positive tests coming into camp this year over last year,” a top doctor predicts. “Yes, camp can open. Here’s how.” By Jennifer Wolff, Campenings Such was the rallying cry last year of Laura Blaisdell, MD — pediatrician, public health expert, and medical director at Camp Winnebago in Fayette, […]