A good question. I've done the yearly flu shot for over a decade. But before that I was A) not a flu shot getter, B) a more reckless driver, and C) etc. etc. My sense of the impact of my actions on other peoples safety seems to have grown over the years, from a near complete lack of consciousness in my teens and early twenties to a stronger feeling today. Probably a not unusual path. And people including myself are good at rationalizing their choices, good or bad.

To the subject of the article: If our child's school decided to not require masks (they currently do) I would go ahead with that without undue worry about the children, assuming the school were representing the will of the teachers. I believe overall the teachers should have the strongest say in the matter because they're the highest risk group involved.