ORLANDO, Fla. — The crowds of angry parents protesting outside school district offices dominated this week’s headlines, as district after district considered mask mandates as a measure to control the wily COVID-19 virus.
As cases across the region begin to fall, doctors are warning that current trends could lead to more fights in the future.
“As much as I’d like to see the back of this pandemic, we’re not done with this yet,” Nemours’ Dr. Kenneth Alexander said.
WATCH: Lake County Schools hold off on decision to change mask policy to allow for further debate
On Tuesday, Dr. Alexander told the Osceola County School Board that COVID-19 was expected to return in waves as it further mutated and became more transmissible. Part of that, he explained, was the continued low vaccination rates among school-aged children.
While kids under 12 still can’t get vaccinated, rates for the groups that are eligible are far lower than officials had hoped. The state’s official report shows 49% of teens under 19 were vaccinated as of the end of August. Volusia County health leaders reported just 25% of kids 12 to 15 and 31% of the 16 to 19 age group had gotten their shots.
“The problems that we are going to have going forward are going to be entirely proportional to the number of people that are vaccinated,” Alexander said.
READ: Gov. Ron DeSantis appeals ruling on masks in schools
If parents become more trusting of vaccines, he said we may not see another instance of a surge like the beginning of the 2021 school year brought. However, if trends continue as is, he predicted the fights would return because guidelines and recommendations wouldn’t change.
“This is nobody’s idea of fun,” he admitted. “If we’re not going to vaccinate to the point where we can stem the tide, then we have to use the other tools in the toolbox.”
Alexander said every parent he’s worked with only had their child’s best interest in mind, regardless of which side of the mask or vaccine debate they fell on.
WATCH: Dozens gather to protest Brevard County Schools’ mask mandate
However, he said hesitant parents are usually willing to vaccinate their children after talking through the issue with them.
“Most parents want to protect their kids,” he said. “What’s the saying an ounce of prevention, beats a pound of cure? Vaccination is your ounce of prevention.”
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