Masks on planes

[jo-jo]

i will do the same for awhile. Look at this flu season, it was practically non existent.. that tells me that masks really do work!

I don't know if it's the mask or the handwashing. In Dec I plan to bring masks to disney for DH once he gets out of wheel chairs. He holds onto every railing he can, I hope to cut down on the hand to face contact. Use hand sanitizer after getting back into chair.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

I just don’t understand why fully vaccinated people are worried about a child not wearing a mask? Either you believe vaccines work or you don’t?

I am an attorney for a local governmental entity and I work closely with a local health officer. I'm not a health care professional so take this for what it is worth.

I don't believe that this is a fake pandemic. I have had to close more than 5 protective placement cases I've actively worked involving nursing facility residents who have contracted COVID-19 and died this past year. That's the truth. And, that's very sad.

I also don't believe the people who simply state that wearing a mask is a matter of a person surviving or dying from COVID-19. That's a false "line of demarcation". Masks do limit the volume of viral load that is expelled by an infected person's mouth, but relying on a mask to fully stop the spread of the virus is, frankly, nuts. After all, there were never any goggle mandates and we all have mucosal lining in our eyes that put us at risk of getting infections. That's a scientific fact.

All that being said, I have been vaccinated for many different viruses, including, COVID-19. I'm not what some people label an anti-vaxxer. But, if you are asking me if I want to sit on a plane next to a person who isn't vaccinated for COVID-19, polio, measles, mumps, etc. etc., (go ahead a pick any infectious communicable disease) then I would tell you that I'd rather not sit next to an unvaccinated person even though I am vaccinated against COVID-19, polio, measles, mumps, etc. etc. Vaccines, generally speaking, are the best way to halt the spread of an infectious communicable disease, but vaccines are not 100% effective (just like masks are not 100% effective). People are still at risk of getting sick even if vaccinated. Now, another good aspect of vaccination is that it generally speaking helps reduce symptoms of the illness so that you can avoid hospitalization or prescribed medications to treat the illness. But you still contract the disease.

There are strains and variants of all viruses and simply getting vaccinated does not guarantee you from getting a foreign strain or variant of a infectious disease. I don't know if people recall that there was a a very serious measles epidemic at Disneyland Park in 2014. Communicable diseases are a very serious matter. In fact, we should all count our blessings that COVID-19 doesn't spread like measles.

I hope this helps you understand why I don't want to sit next to unvaccinated persons on a plane for multiple hours at a time, mask or no mask. You can believe in vaccines but still be cautious and vigilant and grounded in reality that you are not going to be 100% safe from contracting infectious diseases.

 

[piccolopat]

I’m so tired of hearing that everyone who wants to be vaccinated has had the opportunity - especially here. Kids under 12 haven’t yet. Please keep your masks on on planes to protect them.

Traveling by air with kids or others that haven't been vaccinated for any reason is optional. I won't fly with my young grandson who can't be vaccinated yet because of the risk. I do plan to continue to wear my mask for now to protect him but I don't think anyone should expect others to do so just so they can travel or go places where they or their kids might be exposed. Concerned parents always have the option to delay travel until their kids can be vaccinated.

 

[Dis703]

I just don’t understand why fully vaccinated people are worried about a child not wearing a mask? Either you believe vaccines work or you don’t?

No vaccine is 100% effective. The risk of getting COVID (and then of course potentially spreading it) is somewhere around 10-30% for those who are vaccinated depending on which vaccine. And while 70-90% protection is great, it's still not perfect. You also have to factor in that some people don't build an adequate immunity even with vaccines and kid's under 12 are also unable to get vaccinated still.

Vaccines are most effective when the majority of the population have them. Currently, we still have a large enough population who don't have them that COVID is still spreading and even mutating. The longer we have a large population of unvaccinated people the more threat it poses to those who are simply by means of further mutations that may or may not be covered by the vaccine.

It's not about whether or not you believe vaccines work, but more whether you understand how they work.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

No vaccine is 100% effective. The risk of getting COVID (and then of course potentially spreading it) is somewhere around 10-30% for those who are vaccinated depending on which vaccine. And while 70-90% protection is great, it's still not perfect. You also have to factor in that some people don't build an adequate immunity even with vaccines and kid's under 12 are also unable to get vaccinated still.

Vaccines are most effective when the majority of the population have them. Currently, we still have a large enough population who don't have them that COVID is still spreading and even mutating. The longer we have a large population of unvaccinated people the more threat it poses to those who are simply by means of further mutations that may or may not be covered by the vaccine.

It's not about whether or not you believe vaccines work, but more whether you understand how they work.

5% - 36% risk of getting COVID. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison

 

[JoJoGirl]

Regardless of how long the mandate stays in place, I do hope at some point an exception will be allowed for individuals with disabilities that make masking difficult or impossible.

My 26-year-old son has been vaccinated for months now, and he still isn’t allowed on a plane because he can’t mask for any length of time. I totally understood that the no-exceptions policy was necessary before vaccines were widely available. Now that they are, it’s time to revisit the blanket mandate to provide for reasonable accessibility.

We have a trip to Disney planned for next January-February. We won’t book airfare until we’re sure our son can fly, and will cancel the trip entirely if he can’t. There are plenty of other places we can go.

 

[quoo]

Traveling by air is a calculated risk. Yes, kids are at less risk. Everyone wearing masks also reduces this risk as does the increasing proportion of vaccinated people. My children will wear high quality masks on the plane to further reduce their risk, and we'll have to figure out what the relaxation of indoor masks rules means for us.

Yes our trip to Disney is optional and based on our own personal risk assessment. However, so is yours. My kids have been wearing masks, and staying inside, and dealing with virtual school for the past year. It hasn't been fun for them either. Adults can deal with the small inconvenience of continuing to wear masks in high risk situations like transit so kids don't have to continue to stay home this summer.

 

[Dis703]

Masks will still be necessary until those under 12 can also be vaccinated, and rightfully so. Vaccine passports would've been a terrific idea, but like everything in the U.S. it became politicized. I don't get it. Vaccination proof is needed for kids to enroll in school, so why is it an issue for adults?

I'll go one step further. I'll provide my complete medical info to any cast member if it means I can skip the queue and go right to the front of the line

Ironically, almost everyone I know who is staunchly opposed to this vaccine, using masks, or any suggestion of having to show proof had zero opposition to their children receiving every single vaccine on schedule and providing those records to put their kids in daycare, schools, camps, etc. It really is sad how political it has become.

Until we reach an adequate level of vaccination the masks will likely continue, as they should. Given that the vaccine for under 12 doesn't sound like it will be available until the fall I'd assume we can expect masks to be around at least through the end of the year.

 

[spiders]

The bottom line is that if a service provider or otherwise local ordinance says masking is required then I will obviously comply. But I’m not masking in optional scenarios to conform with personal expectations.

 

[piccolopat]

Traveling by air is a calculated risk. Yes, kids are at less risk. Everyone wearing masks also reduces this risk as does the increasing proportion of vaccinated people. My children will wear high quality masks on the plane to further reduce their risk, and we'll have to figure out what the relaxation of indoor masks rules means for us.

Yes our trip to Disney is optional and based on our own personal risk assessment. However, so is yours. My kids have been wearing masks, and staying inside, and dealing with virtual school for the past year. It hasn't been fun for them either. Adults can deal with the small inconvenience of continuing to wear masks in high risk situations like transit so kids don't have to continue to stay home this summer.

I understand why you want this summer to be better for your kids but you can do so without expecting others to wear masks where they are no longer required. Perhaps now would be a good time to plan a road trip. Lots of people make the long drive to Disney for a variety of reasons if you still decide to go there. Enjoy your trip wherever you end up.

 

[quoo]

I’m not. Just on planes, where they are required.

I was primarily responding to the previous poster who indicated that masks should not be required anywhere as everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be. That’s simply false. I’m asking that we consider that many children are not able to be vaccinated, but like everyone want to resume some semblance of normal life.

 

[sam_gordon]

i will do the same for awhile. Look at this flu season, it was practically non existent.. that tells me that masks really do work!

How much of that was masks and how much from social distancing/limited occupancy/limited travel?

 

[OregonDisDad]

Ironically, almost everyone I know who is staunchly opposed to this vaccine, using masks, or any suggestion of having to show proof had zero opposition to their children receiving every single vaccine on schedule and providing those records to put their kids in daycare, schools, camps, etc. It really is sad how political it has become.

Until we reach an adequate level of vaccination the masks will likely continue, as they should. Given that the vaccine for under 12 doesn't sound like it will be available until the fall I'd assume we can expect masks to be around at least through the end of the year.

The difference here is that this is still an experimental drug, and has not been approved for kids under 12. Also, while parents may be OK with their kids getting the various childhood vaccines that have been available for decades, and may comply with school requirements to share vaccination status where their kids have gotten the vaccine, I’m not sure that there is zero opposition to sharing that info with schools. I also hope that you are wrong about masks being around through the end of the year. Based on recent changes we’ve seen, I think masks will be a personal choice long before the end of the year.

 

[jerseygal]

I live in Virginia and our governor has said that one of the issues with upcoming changes is that people are not allowed to wear masks in normal times: (here he’s speaking about the ending state of emergency on June 30)
“If we’re not in the state of emergency, it is unlawful to wear a mask in public so there are certain things we’re working through,” Northam said. “It’s a month away so I don’t think that’s too extreme.”

I’ll be the first to say this is a very weird state (I’m not originally from here)

Wonder what folks will do in VA who are immunocompromised and want to continue to wear a mask?

 

[Ensusieasm]

i will do the same for awhile. Look at this flu season, it was practically non existent.. that tells me that masks really do work!

I’m with you! Half the time when I fly I catch a cold. I’ll likely be masking on flights from now on.

 

[EACarlson]

5% - 36% risk of getting COVID. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison

Those numbers don't mean what you think they mean. Those numbers mean 64-95% less of a chance of contracting COVID than if you weren't vaccinated. According to numbers from a University of Texas study, 99.95% of vaccinated people did not contract COVID.

Ironically, almost everyone I know who is staunchly opposed to this vaccine, using masks, or any suggestion of having to show proof had zero opposition to their children receiving every single vaccine on schedule and providing those records to put their kids in daycare, schools, camps, etc. It really is sad how political it has become.

Until we reach an adequate level of vaccination the masks will likely continue, as they should. Given that the vaccine for under 12 doesn't sound like it will be available until the fall I'd assume we can expect masks to be around at least through the end of the year.

Ironically, those that were screaming "Follow the science" the loudest a year ago when there was no science do not want to follow the science now. I have not seen any studies showing that children were spreading COVID in schools. And by children I mean pre-adolescent. They have never been shown to be the "silent carriers" that everyone was so scared of 14 months ago and why schools had to be shut down. Mask dictates haven't been shown to drastically alter the spread of COVID.

The CDC has made it's recommendation, I'd like to see the dictate lifted, I'm sure one of the airlines will keep their rule in place. If it's Delta than I guess I'll be changing airlines for my flight to MCO in October.

I’m with you! Half the time when I fly I catch a cold. I’ll likely be masking on flights from now on.

That has been the biggest thing this winter. There was almost no seasonal flu or common colds. I can certainly respect anyone's decision on that basis alone. I like it when people have the opportunity to make choices for themselves rather than the government making choices for people.

 

[Dakota731]

Just because I’m no longer wearing a mask doesn’t mean I’m anti-vaccination. I’ve been vaccinated and most of my family have had covid since they are health care workers. I have a nephew who is research scientist with the covid virus, and he has said there is no evidence that our current vaccines don’t protect against variant strains. Also he has seen no study to show that children or any vaccinated person has spread the virus. In fact if you really want to protect your children then you should quarantine them during flu season which kills more children than covid ever has.
So I have no issue with you wearing masks forever, but you do not have the right to require me to wear one.

 

[eleven24]

I just don’t understand why fully vaccinated people are worried about a child not wearing a mask? Either you believe vaccines work or you don’t?

Because those who choose to not get the vaccine pose a risk to the children of parents who are vaccinated.

 

[trivan]

So a drunk person should be allowed to drive a car because they want to? That is a personal choice and one which has killed many innocent people. People have died because of a persons choice. In this example, our government has made it illegal, but it still happens. Freedom is not an absolute right to affect others with your decision/action.

 

[KathyTX]

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