With summer winding down in the northern hemisphere, it is time for us to take our traditional look at the importance of “back-to-school” eye care as North American kids and teens get ready for a new school year. Last year was a once-in-a-lifetime back-to-school year, as such activities were tremendously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With much hesitation and apprehension among administrators, teachers, parents, and students alike, the return to school took on many different forms in the fall of 2020; but through various efforts, the school year was largely a successful one, with the exception of continued virtual learning fatigue and altered/minimalized social interaction.

Fast forward one year to the back-to-school transition of 2021, and my, are some things different (but others are remarkably the same). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently (July 9, 2021) released guidance stating that students and teachers do not need to wear masks indoors at school if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. As of Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 56.3% of the U.S. population 12 years of age and older (eligible for the vaccine) have been fully vaccinated (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations ) There is no doubt that vaccination is the current leading public health strategy in the fight against COVID.

Speaking of disease control and prevention, in other news and another hot topic of the summer of 2021, the pace of clinical research output that is directly relevant to contact lenses, specialty contact lenses, and the care of children who have myopia is mind-boggling. It is tough to keep up with everything, even for those of us who are academics! Using the latest cutting-edge research, we will be providing new and exciting content with exactly the information that you need to know to care for your patients. We look forward to hearing from you as well on topics that you want and need to hear more about in the year to come! Stay safe, and continue to have a wonderful summer (even if you are headed back to school).

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The goal of Contact Lens Spectrum is to provide you with timely and thought-provoking articles that will help you become a more successful contact lens practitioner. Please let us know how we’re doing! E-mail CLSpectrum@pentavisionmedia.com with your comments or article submissions.