{"id":39507,"date":"2021-05-06T15:24:50","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T21:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=39507"},"modified":"2023-06-23T10:31:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:31:29","slug":"summer-camp-there-are-benefits-to-summer-programs-but-how-do-you-keep-kids-safe-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/summer-camp-there-are-benefits-to-summer-programs-but-how-do-you-keep-kids-safe-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer camp: There are benefits to summer programs, but how do you keep kids safe during a pandemic?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"kids
Lynett kids, ready for summer camp. Photo courtesy of Lynett.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Liz Lynett is ready for summer. The Littleton mom of three wants her kids, ages 11, 13 and 15, off electronic devices and outside in the fresh air. Summer camp season cannot get here fast enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey all need the fun, camp experience more than anything,\u201d Lynett said. Like many Coloradans, the Lynett kids endured remote learning and quarantining this school year. It\u2019s been a tough, isolating time with too much screen time and not enough time socializing with friends. Last year, COVID kept her kids from going to any summer camps. This year will be very different.<\/p>\n

\u201cCOVID is a bit of a concern,\u201d Lynett said. \u201cBut the mental health aspect of this is far more important and I know they are ready for some old-school campfires, arts and crafts and swimming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed. Dr. Anne Michele Safley<\/a>, a primary care physician who practices at UCHealth Primary Care Greenwood Village<\/a>, is a strong proponent of summer programs having worked as a camp doctor at the same Minnesota camp she attended as a child.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dr. Anne Michele Safley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey serve a dual purpose of providing important social and emotional experiences for our children. Our day camps here in the metro Denver area also provide an important form of child care for working parents during the summer months,”\u00a0Safley said.<\/p>\n

CDC guidance for summer camp<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently put out guidelines for summer camps. Jenny Wilczewski, director of summer camp programs at Colorado Academy where kids as young as four attend day camps, said they are committed to providing a safe environment for all campers. Small groups, daily health screenings, vaccinated staff, masking and as many outdoor activities as possible are just a few of the protocols in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want parents to have peace of mind,\u201d Wilczewski said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dr. Larissa Pisney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The CDC rules, plus the recent announcement that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include children age 12 years and older,\u00a0is certainly welcome news, said Dr. Larissa Pisney<\/a>, an infectious disease expert with UCHealth and mother of a 9-year old who she says will attend summer camp. But it may not be for everyone. She encourages parents to talk with their primary care provider about the risks \u2013 particularly for children with underlying medical conditions. And do their homework. A CDC committee on immunization practices also approved COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 years and older on May 12, 2021.<\/p>\n

\n

How to get a vaccine<\/strong><\/p>\n

UCHealth is currently providing COVID-19 vaccines for Colorado residents age 12 and older.\u00a0You do not have to be a UCHealth patient to receive the vaccine. UCHealth is offering two options to get the COVID-19 vaccine:<\/p>\n