Poll: 70 percent say kids who cannot take coronavirus vaccine should be masked while in school

A vast majority of voters, 70 percent, say children who cannot get the coronavirus vaccine should be masked while in school, a new Hill-HarrisX poll finds.

By contrast, 30 percent of respondents in the Sept. 30-Oct 1. survey said kids should not be masked even if they cannot take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Eighty-seven percent of Democrats, 69 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans said children who cannot take the vaccine should be masked while in school.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study from late last month found that schools in two Arizona counties that didn’t require universal masking were 3.5 times more likely to endure COVID-19 outbreaks than schools with mask mandates.

At least eight states have banned schools from requiring masks for students and staff, leaving some districts with a tough decision whether to defy the state government.

The Hill-HarrisX poll was conducted online among 948 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. 

—Gabriela Schulte