Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the landmark announcement that individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear a mask indoors with the exception of public transportation and medical facilities. Oregon quickly followed suit, placing the onus on local businesses to create mask policies and on vaccinated individuals to decide for themselves if they will continue masking.

As a doctor practicing in Portland, my heart sank at this news. Families with young children, Oregonians with weakened immune systems and public-facing workers are now more exposed and anxious as Oregon becomes a checkerboard of mask policies and questionable enforcement. As a physician who follows the science, the mother of an ineligible toddler, the daughter of an immunocompromised parent, and a community member who wants to show solidarity with those who are vulnerable, I will continue to mask when indoors in public. I urge my fellow Oregonians to do the same and here is why:

Read on for the full op-ed, published 5/23/21 in the Oregonian.

 


Wendy Hasson, MD,  is a pediatric intensive care physician at Randall Children’s Hospital. 

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