As parents and teachers across the U.S. argue over the importance of mask and vaccine mandates (or lack thereof), England has not left the issue up for debate.
In early September, millions of children returned to schools with face coverings not required in classrooms and with vaccines eligible for only those aged 12 and older.
Experts said the plan was a gamble - but it appears to have paid off.
Daily case numbers in Britain are much lower than during the summer wave, suggesting that the high rate of vaccination among adults has prevented schools from causing a surge in infections.
In fact, new cases per day are more than 60 percent lower than what they were projected to be.
What's more, Covid cases may have finally peaked in children with recent figures from the UK Department of Health and Social Care showing the number of kids and teens testing positive has fallen in the past week.
Last month, children headed back to school in the UL with no requirements for masks in classrooms and with most unvaccinated, but this does not appear to have caused a surge in cases. Pictured: Pupils listen during a geography lesson at Whitchurch High School on in Cardiff, Wales, September 14
Public Health England data suggest case rates have finally peaked in children after exploding at the start of the new term from one in 20 testing positive to one in 30
In mid-July, during the peak of the UK's summer surge, England was recording 50,955 daily new cases, according to Public Health England (PHE).
As of Thursday, 33,025 new infections were recorded.
This is 60 percent lower than predictions made by Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who told BBC Radio in July that lifting restrictions would lead to 100,000 cases per day.
Experts say Covid vaccinations are to thank, with percentages very high among the eligible population.
Around 85 percent of those aged 12 and older in England have received at least one dose and 78.1 percent are fully vaccinated, PHE data show.
Covid cases may have finally peaked in English children with one in 30 testing positive, down from one in 20 last week
These are much higher than parentages in the U.S., where 76.2 percent of people aged 12 and older have been given at least one vaccine dose and 65.8 percent have completed their vaccine series.
This means that it appears Britain's successful vaccine
