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Mask mandates for children during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international human rights perspective

Stephen Thomson1

  • 1ANU College of Law, The Australian National University, Australia.

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
|March 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Mandating face masks for children during the COVID-19 pandemic raises significant human rights concerns. Alternative public health strategies like ventilation and hand hygiene offer safer policy options for reducing virus transmission in children.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Human Rights Law
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Debates on children's mask mandates during COVID-19 often overlook international human rights law.
  • Existing recommendations from WHO and UNICEF vary by age group, but the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child applies universally.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the implications of international human rights law on decisions regarding mandatory mask-wearing for children.
  • To highlight the need for careful consideration of potential negative impacts on children's well-being.

Main Methods:

  • Legal analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant treaties.
  • Review of existing epidemiological and physical safety debates on pediatric mask mandates.

Main Results:

  • Mandatory mask policies for children must carefully consider potential detrimental effects on their physical, psychological, and psychosocial health.
  • International human rights law requires heightened scrutiny of mask mandates for minors.

Conclusions:

  • Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, and improved ventilation are safer policy alternatives.
  • These alternatives avoid the legal complexities associated with mask mandates and protect children's rights and well-being.

Keywords:
COVID-19Child healthethicshuman rightspublic health

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