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Children’s Vision Screening During Distancing

The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) at Prevent Blindness is collaborating with national partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the NCCVEH Advisory Committee, to develop guidance for implementation of vision and eye health program administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance will address screening and referral protocols, based on evidence-based practices in consideration of additional safety and health precautions that should be taken by community-based programs, home visiting programs, early childhood care and education, and schools. The NCCVEH will also address vision screening and early identification of possible vision disorders in a variety of scenarios, including in-person and virtual instruction.

While our guidance will be national and broad in scope, be aware of the need to prioritize any guidance/regulations enacted by your states, communities, local health departments, and program-specific settings (e.g., school district). We will update this page when our guidance is completed (anticipated date July 30, 2020). You will find guidance on the NCCVEH website.

In the interim, we recommend that you consult the guidelines promulgated by your state and local health departments (and education department) for opening child care centers and schools, and by the CDC.

We plan to issue an FAQ document, and we encourage you to contact us with your questions and concerns to help ensure we address issues for which you require guidance. Please contact us at [email protected]

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