More than 28 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will continue to wait for advice from federal health officials on what to do and what not to do.
The Biden administration said Friday it is aiming to get the right guidance and accommodate emerging science, but the delays add to uncertainty about ending the pandemic. as the country’s virus fatigue increases.
“These are complex issues and the science is evolving rapidly,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Friday. “We’re taking care of it and taking the time to get this right and we will be releasing this guidance soon.”
Such guidance would resolve a deluge of questions from people fully vaccinated against COVID-19: Should I still wear a mask? Can I go to a bar now? Can I finally see my grandchildren?
The need has grown slowly since January, when the first Americans began completing the series of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines available at the time. According to Andy Slavitt, a senior administration advisor for the pandemic, more than half of people 65 and older have now received at least one injection.
In Washington state, Raul Espinoza Gomez has 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and has an appointment on Saturday for his second dose of coronavirus vaccine.
By Easter, the 77-year-old’s immune system will be ready to protect him from the virus. But how the family celebrates depends on government advice, said Melissa Espinoza, 47, of Carnation, Washington, who plans to drive Gomez, her father-in-law, to get his second chance.
“We didn’t come together as one big family at Christmas,” she said. “We follow what state and federal guidelines recommend. We have had family members who have been adversely affected by COVID. We know the risks are serious. “
Concerned about persistently high charges and deaths, the Biden government has condemned efforts to relax states’ virus restrictions and begged the public for a few months more patience.
The warning has drawn critics, pointing to the government’s warnings that “fatigue wins” as evidence that they need to be more optimistic about the road ahead to get the cooperation of those yet to be vaccinated.
“I think it’s going to be overly compulsive and conservative, and that’s the wrong message,” former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday of the upcoming CDC guidelines. “If we remain very compelling and don’t give people a realistic vision of what a brighter future will look like, they will start ignoring public health guidelines.”
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the Health Policy and Public Health division, encouraged the CDC to be more clear about when and how it plans to create guidelines for vaccinated individuals.
“Making the decision to go through science is also making the decision that you have to make a decision, which is very difficult when the science isn’t settled,” he told the AP. “They drink from a science fire hose, and sometimes it gets messy.”
More than 55.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and just over half of them – 28.7 million – have received the recommended two doses. The single dose of Johnson & Johnson soon there will be a few million more Americans with questions about what new freedoms they can enjoy safely.
“I really hope I will see my great-grandchildren more,” said Rolando Solar, 92, who received his second dose in Miami on Wednesday. “But I know things won’t get back to normal, and for an old man like me, this is as good as it will be.”
Tami Katz-Freiman, 65, of Miami, got her second dose three weeks ago and plans to see the Miami Film Festival with unvaccinated friends almost Sunday. They will all wear masks.
“We didn’t have to discuss it because it’s very clear to me that when there is doubt and you don’t have a clear line from the CDC, you better stay on the safe side and take care of yourself,” says Katz-Freiman said.
Three weeks ago, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people do not have to go to quarantine if they have contact with someone with a confirmed infection (for 90 days after the last shot). But the agency said nothing else, noted Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of public health at George Washington University.
“That (quarantine counseling) seems to imply to me that your chances of contracting COVID-19 and being a carrier for others are quite low,” said Wen, who previously headed the Baltimore health department.
“(But) we have to focus on what’s most relevant to people’s lives, and my patients don’t come in and ask me, ‘If I’m vaccinated, should I still be quarantined if I’m exposed?’ continued.
“I would say the most common question I get is, ‘Can I visit my grandchildren?’” Said Wen.
Experts say it’s understandable that the CDC has been cautious when many scientific questions remain, including how long vaccination-induced immunity lasts and whether vaccinated people can still transmit the virus to others. The answers are important when advising someone about what kind of risk they face in different situations, and how much risk they run to others.
“The vaccines at their best, in the clinical trials, were 95% effective, I didn’t say 100%. And that’s why we usually have to keep wearing masks, ”says Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.
But the CDC had to come up with something more for vaccinated people than sticking to the same old mask being worn, social distance counseling, he added.
“People are so eager to do something and want to see tangible benefits from the vaccines. Americans are impatient. They want to continue, ”said Schaffner.
Indeed, “there is a real cost to delaying this counseling,” as people turn to their own doctors for advice, or simply make their own assumptions and decisions, Wen said.
Waiting too long could diminish the agency’s relevance to these types of matters, said Wen, who believes the CDC should have had some sort of guidance for vaccinated people back in January.
Clearly, vaccinated people should have been encouraged to get cancer screening, dental care, or other necessary medical appointments. CDC officials could also have said it’s okay for small groups of fully vaccinated people – maybe two or three couples, for example – to get together for dinner or another small gathering, she said.
Regarding small gatherings among people who have been fully vaccinated, “the relative risk is so low that you do not have to wear a mask that you could have a good social gathering at home,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s executive. . infectious disease physician, at a recent White House briefing.
Some experts discussed the possibility of movie theaters, cruise ships, or certain other companies opening up to vaccinated people and asking for proof of vaccination status. The Israeli government has begun to issue a “green pass” vaccination certificate to anyone who has received two doses of COVID vaccine through an accredited vaccination service.
“I don’t know if in this country we would tolerate the federal government issuing some sort of pass, like they did in Israel,” Wen said. But companies may want such passes, and they would provide an incentive that could help overall vaccination coverage, Wen said.
The only stimulus Espinoza’s family needed for vaccination was that she and her husband were hospitalized with COVID-19 this winter. Still recovering, she uses oxygen at home.
Vaccination of the family elders is one step closer to returning to the traditions they love: church on Palm Sunday and, a week later, an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a meal of slow-cooked barbacoa, a Mexican beef dish.
“I hope people stay at home as much as possible and stay safe until we can all be vaccinated and eradicate this disease,” Espinoza said.
This story has been updated to correct Gottlieb’s first name.
Associated Press reporter Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.