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Large demand for COVID-19 vaccine among Florida seniors
Florida seniors eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are struggling to make appointments due to high demand. To some, who spend hours a day on the websites of different health services, it seems hopeless; Robert Sherman reports
The potential new head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that at least one new strain of coronavirus has shown resistance to treatments, but insists vaccines are still effective.
A number of new strains of COVID-19 have emerged over the past month, raising concerns that current treatments and vaccines may not be effective. These concerns are largely unfounded, Dr Rochelle Walensky told “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan.
“We have known for a long time that viruses mutate, not just coronavirus, but any virus,” said Walensky, who has been appointed by President-elect Joe Biden to be the next CDC chief. “So far, that of the UK seems more transmissible.”
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – DECEMBER 08: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to lead the Centers for Disease Control, speaks during a press conference at the Queen Theater on December 8, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the country with daily records of infections and deaths, members of Biden’s health team have said they will make the fight against COVID-19 a priority. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
“We have no information that it escapes our vaccines,” Walensky continued. “We have indications that this is probably not the case.”
Walensky promised that there would be “further studies” on the effectiveness of the various new strains, but Brennan raised a particular report that the new South African strain of COVID-19 is resistant to antibody therapies.
Walensky confirmed that she had “heard similar things” about antibodies used in treatments like the Regeneron therapy used to treat President Donald Trump.
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“I think not only are the South African and Brazilian strains concerned, but also that other future strains may have resistance to these antibodies,” Walensky said. “Do not take away all efficiency, but decrease efficiency.”
Walensky insisted that the best way to deal with possible problems resulting from mutations is to catch them as soon as possible, calling on Biden to make sure the public health system has the resources to be effective.
The main concern would be that a lack of investment delays the opening of public schools – a major target for Biden’s first 100 days in office. The new British strain of the virus has been found to be more transmissible, which could prove problematic in ensuring a safe environment in schools.
The administration will “carefully consider” how best to invest resources to ensure that schools are able to cope with the demands of a safer environment.
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The administration plans to vaccinate educators and ensure transmission and disease rates have dropped before pushing for a large-scale reopening.
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