Dramatic Action Taken to Protect Unvaccinated Children from COVID-19

WILMINGTON, N.C., Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pediatric hospitalizations for children ages 0-17 have reached an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic, just as many ready to return to school for the first time in months. But with school-aged children facing more risk than ever before, one organization is taking dramatic action to help protect our population's most vulnerable, donating a solution championed by epidemiologists and pandemic disease policy experts alike to all K-12 school systems nationwide, helping to safeguard children from the surging virus.

As parents, educators, schools and communities across America race to figure out how to bring fully susceptible children to a single location, they are confronted with the nearly impossible daily task of safeguarding our children and our classrooms.

We've seen this before. But this time, we have the tools to help keep them safe.

An infectious disease screening company based in North Carolina, CastleBranch's TEAM solution was specifically designed to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19 before vaccines were made available to the public. Known scientifically as an "engineering control" in the hierarchy of pandemic controls, the tool is being donated at absolutely no cost to all K-12 organizations across the country, and is considered one of the best defenses against COVID-19 for children who do not have access to an approved vaccine.

"Through no fault of their own, our country's youngest are now some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19, with hospitalizations rising at an alarming rate," said CastleBranch CEO Brett Martin. "As students ready to return to school, we cannot sit idly by. These children deserve every advantage to keep them safe, which is why we're donating our solution to every school system in the country at no cost."  

Inside TEAM, students will be able to record their temperatures twice-daily – before arriving at school and after classes are let out – as well as track common COVID-19 symptoms and exposure. Should a student record a fever, symptom or exposure, schools can then take the appropriate next step – such as implementing quarantine and isolation procedures, contact tracing or diagnostic testing. All information and legally required consents are gathered in accordance with federal and state rules and regulations, and private data is fiercely protected to ensure all information remains controlled by the student and/or the student's legal guardian.

TEAM has been adopted by thousands of institutes of higher education throughout the US, and was previously donated to all healthcare higher education programs nationwide to help protect health professions students. Since TEAM's launch in April of 2020, the company has developed other tools to help organizations and individuals mitigate the risk of COVID-19, including RealVaccinationID.com, cards that provide physical and digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination and waiver status.

"Today, schools and businesses use Real Vaccination ID to provide visibility into a person's vaccination or waiver status. TEAM plays a vital role for many organizations who wish to monitor symptoms of COVID to keep people safe," said Martin.  "Our children have a distinct disadvantage at this moment with this virus. They need every advantage in the fight against COVID – and we will make certain that every school that needs TEAM will get it at no cost."

CastleBranch is one of the leading providers of vaccination and immunization tracking in the United States. With 25 years' experience, the company has tracked, reviewed, and/or stored over 35 million medical documents for a majority of healthcare education programs across the nation. Their solutions have been endorsed by both the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the nation's two largest nursing healthcare associations, representing over 80 percent of nursing education in the country.

"Now is the time for courage and compassion; to take the necessary steps to protect our children, our educators, and our communities. We act because we must – because any alternative is simply unacceptable," said Martin. "TEAM helped thousands of U.S. colleges navigate COVID-19 safely. Without vaccines, our children are at risk, which is why we're giving TEAM to them now to protect them in the eye of the COVID storm." 

For more information visit CB COVID-19 Compliance. 

About CastleBranch:
Located in Wilmington, N.C., CastleBranch is an infectious disease screening and compliance management company serving over 17,700 healthcare programs, tens of millions of individuals, and tens of thousands of employers, schools and healthcare facilities nationwide by verifying identity, tracking over 35 million medical documents, and helping individuals transition to and through professional life. CastleBranch has 25 years of experience, employs over 500 team members and has a long track record of providing innovative solutions for complex problems.

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SOURCE CastleBranch