Michigan schools with mask mandates have 'similar' COVID case rates as schools with no mandate

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Data released by the state of Michigan this week showed that coronavirus transmission rates among school-age children have reached comparable levels regardless of community mask mandates. 

Michigan – which  last week reported the second-highest case rate among pediatric populations in the country – has seen a consistent increase in COVID-19 cases in school-age kids since the first day of school in September. 

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Courtney Martin, left, a nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center, gives the first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Ani Hahn, 7, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

But despite mask mandates in certain communities, transmission rates amongst kids who mask up are now "similar" to transmission rates in communities with few to no mask rules. 

Transmission rates for kids 5 to 18 years of age hit a new seven-day rolling average high in November in the lead-up to the holiday season. 

Students in communities categorized by "few/ no mask rules," "partial mask rules" and "masks required" all reported just over 100 cases per every 100,000 students on a seven-day average by mid-November. 

Fox News could not immediately reach the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Michigan government for comment on why transmission rates are up across the board. 

A note on the side of the graph detailing the increase briefly attributed the anomaly to "differences" in masking effectivity "potentially being washed out by transmission in other settings."

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But the report did not expand further on why kids in communities with mask mandates are seeing the same transmission rates as those without mask policies. 

The report said, "It remains important to mask up in indoor settings (schools and otherwise) to prevent transmission."

Joseph G. Allen feels masks work, but aren’t necessary for kids.  ( Allison Dinner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Health officials have repeatedly said vaccines are the most effective tool in warding off the coronavirus. 

The emergence of the omicron variant has prompted concern that there could be a resurgence in cases globally. There is not yet enough data to show how effective the current vaccines are in fighting off the virus, according to the CDC.

The top health agency has said that getting the vaccine is not merely a matter of avoiding COVID-19 all together, but rather avoiding serious health implications from the deadly virus.

"While COVID-19 vaccines are working well, some people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will still get sick, because no vaccines are 100% effective. These are called vaccine breakthrough cases," the CDC states on its website. "mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to provide protection against severe illness and hospitalization among people of all ages eligible to receive them."

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Unvaccinated individuals are nearly six times more likely to contract the virus and 14 times more likely to die from the virus, according to CDC data. 

The CDC recommends people become fully vaccinated by getting two rounds of shots in their arms. A booster is now recommended for those who have been fully vaccinated for at least six months.