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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 29 While the constant assessment of whether this playdate or that sports team is a good idea or not in the COVID era can feel exhausting, Pastore reminds parents that they've always been assessing risk for their children—COVID has just brought a new dimension to it. "We can take down the anxiety by realizing this decision-making process is something we have to do anyway. These are basic skills," she says. "If you talk to your kids about your own thought process you are modeling how to go about making those deci- sions." As COVID-19 moves from being a pandemic to an endemic disease, Pastore says par- ents should be ready to adjust their family behaviors accordingly as case numbers rise and fall—just as they might adjust travel plans in hazardous weather or social plans if they have a cold. "Depending on what's happening with the community level of spread and what is happening in your child's school, you may need to adjust a little bit in terms of how you interact," she says. When assessing risk, Pastore says parents should keep in mind that one of the activi- ties with the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission is sports. But sports also offer many other physical and mental health benefits to children. When making decisions about sports participation for your own children, Pastore recommends parents keep in mind: • Outdoor sports pose less of a risk of transmission. • The less contact a sport involves, the less risk it poses for disease transmission. • Encourage children to keep a physical distance from other players when on the sidelines. • Encourage children to wear masks when they are not actively playing their sport. • Talk to league directors or coaches to get a sense of their own approach to COVID-19 prevention measures as you make your decisions. For more information on COVID-19 resources in the Fredericksburg region, visit vdh.virginia.gov/Rappahannock Pastore emphasizes that the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine tested on children ages 5-11 is a lower dose than the vaccine given to adults. She said vaccines have the important benefit of reducing the severity of any COVID-19 infection in both children and adults. "That is a really fantastic thing," she said, especially given reports of long-term COVID-19 symptoms and rare cases of a life-threatening condition called multi- system inflammatory syndrome that can stem from severe cases. Pastore urges parents to view COVID-19 vaccines the same way they view other health decisions they must make for their children, and to be proactive about ask- ing their pediatrician about their ques- tions and concerns. "It's important to ask your healthcare provider for information so that you have greater knowledge yourself and you in consultation with your doctor can make a decision that is right given your own health history and circumstances," she says. "Simply being able to talk through these issues can reduce anxiety as well as dispel any myths or misunderstandings." Parents should include children in these discussions when age-appropriate, she said, and can set a good example by get- ting the vaccine themselves. Stay tuned to the Fredericksburg Parent Facebook and YouTube pages in November for an interview with local health officials. For the latest information on vaccines available for all age groups, please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/. RISK ASSESSMENT Parents have always been doing this.