I want to applaud the Juneau School Board for their decision on Aug. 10, to require masking in our public schools at the start of the 2021 school year.
As the mother of a 4-year-old child who is not yet able to access a COVID-19 vaccine, I am in strong support of the effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in our community by masking whenever and wherever possible.
Recently, the approach to mitigating COVID-19 is falsely cast as a question of choice — those who choose to vaccinate and those who choose not to.
My child does not have that choice, nor do his father and I have the ability to make that choice for him. The safety of our son lies in the choices made by our neighbors. The same extends to all young children.
Though I recognize this is perceived as a hardship by many, I am appreciative of our community’s willingness to mask up for our kids. We are eager for our child to be able to remain in his preschool environment this year. He is completely accustomed to wearing a mask and loves school no less for wearing it.
I appreciate each and every school board member for their vote. I am excited for a healthy school year for our kids.
Erin Harrington,
Juneau
• Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.