Washington – Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on Sunday that an increase in coronavirus infections among young people was causing new outbreaks in some states, but did not believe there would be a “true” fourth wave of the pandemic.
“What we are seeing are pockets of infections across the country, especially in younger people who have not been vaccinated and in school-age children,” Gottlieb said in an interview with Face the Nation, noting the increase in cases. among school-age children in Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
“You see outbreaks in schools and infections in social cohorts that haven’t been exposed to the virus before, maybe they took better care of the shelter, now they’re out and exposed to the virus and getting infected,” he continued. “The infection is changing. the contours as to who is hit by it right now ”.
As coronavirus cases increase in 27 states and the District of Columbia, public health officials are urging Americans to remain vigilant following mitigation measures. But as vaccination rates continue to accelerate – 4 million doses were given on Friday alone – and about 130 million Americans have already contracted COVID-19, Gottlieb said the level of immunity in the US should lead a fourth wave of pandemic.
As of Saturday, more than 104 million Americans have received at least one dose of their coronavirus vaccine, while 59.8 million Americans are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“You have about 200 million Americans somewhere who already have a certain level of immunity,” he said. “I think there is enough immunity in the population that you will not see a real fourth wave of infection.”
While more young people become infected with COVID-19, Gottlieb said he does not believe schools should close the doors to in-person learning, but should be made safer to combat the spread of the virus.
I think we need to stick to strict mitigation in schools, schools that use masks, schools that can implement some sort of distancing, as an epidemiologist referred to this week, go to “Harry Potter Complete” and try to keep students in within defined social cohorts so that they do not interfere in large groups, “he said.” If you take these measures in schools, I believe that schools can be safer and I believe that the benefits of being in school outweigh the risks. be aware that schools are a risk factor, children are vulnerable to infection and that schools can become focal points for community outreach if we are not careful. “
Coronavirus vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved for adults 18 years of age and older, while Pfizer vaccine is approved for people up to 16 years of age. But Pfizer and Moderna have tested their vaccines in children 12 years of age and older and are starting clinical trials. photos of young children.
Pfizer announced last week in a study of 2,260 American volunteers between the ages of 12 and 15 that its vaccine has been shown to be safe and 100% effective. Gottlieb is a member of Pfizer’s board of directors.
Vaccination of children will be crucial to reopening schools and helping the U.S. reach the herd’s immunity, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said Friday that he believes there may be enough information to vaccinate children safely. of any age until the end of the year.
Gottlieb said he believes the FDA could authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use for children between the ages of 12 and 15 to make it available before the school year begins, but warned that it could take longer before children are older. 12 year olds to be approved to get their photos.
“I think we will be able to vaccinate in 12 years before the fall,” he said. I think younger than that could take longer because you will want to test a lot of different doses to try to find the lowest possible dose that still provides a robust immune response to children.
Even though public health officials are warning Americans not to reject the growing guidelines for coronavirus infections, families continue to travel for the spring break, and the Transportation Safety Administration has reported an increase in airport screening.
Gottlieb encouraged health officials to issue guidelines that the public will largely follow, but said it was important for them to be cautious.
“You don’t want to be so far away from the aspirations and where the audience is and what the audience will eventually get involved in so that the orientation is ignored. You need to provide guidance in the context of what the public is willing to do, “he said.
However, Gottlieb stressed that the US remains in a “high prevalence environment”, circulating new variants of coronavirus.
“We do not want to be in a position to expand the epidemic because we have not been cautious about the measures we are taking right now,” he said. “That being said, people feel that there is a lower risk in general. As people get vaccinated, they feel less at risk and are vaccinated. And so they are willing to engage in the things they postpone for a whole year. So we have to acknowledge that, and I think it’s releasing guidance in a way that people can comply with, you know, their aspirations, which is that they want to see the family again. They want you to start socializing. They want to start traveling a little. “