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More than 28 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to continue to wait for advice from federal health officials on what they should and should not do.
The Biden administration said on Friday it was focusing on getting the right direction and taking into account emerging science, but the delays add to the uncertainty around an end to the pandemic. as the nation’s viral fatigue increases.
“These are complex issues and science is changing rapidly,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Friday. “We make sure and take the time to get it right and will be posting these tips soon.
Such guidelines would answer a flood of questions from people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19: Do I still have to wear a mask? Can I go to a bar now? Can I finally see my grandchildren?
The need has slowly grown since January, when the first Americans began to complete the two-dose series of COVID-19 vaccines then available. Today, more than half of people 65 and older have received at least one vaccine, according to Andy Slavitt, a senior administrative adviser on the pandemic.
In Washington state, Raul Espinoza Gomez has 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and a date Saturday for his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
By Easter, the 77-year-old’s immune system will be ready to protect him from the virus. But celebrating the family will depend on government advice, said Melissa Espinoza, 47, of Carnation, Wash., Who plans to drive her stepfather Gomez to get her second shot.
“We didn’t get together as a big family at Christmas,” she says. “We follow what state and federal guidelines recommend. We have had family members affected by COVID. We know the risks are serious. “
Worried about the consistently high number of cases and deaths, the Biden administration condemned efforts to relax states’ viral restrictions and pleaded with the public for several months more patience.
The warning has drawn critics, who point to the administration’s own warnings that “fatigue is winning” as evidence that they need to be more optimistic about the way forward to secure cooperation. those who have not yet been vaccinated.
“I think it’s going to be too proscriptive and conservative and that’s the wrong message,” former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday of the CDC’s upcoming guidelines. “If we continue to be very proscriptive and not give people a realistic view of what a better future is going to look like, they will start to ignore public health guidelines.”
Dr Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the Division of Health Policy and Public Health, urged the CDC to be more clear on when and how it plans to produce guidelines for the vaccinated.
“Making the decision to go by science is also making the decision that you are going to have to make a decision, which is really difficult when science is not settled,” he told the AP. “They drink from a science fire lance, and sometimes it gets complicated.”
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 two recommended doses. Johnson & Johnson’s single dose shot will soon add a few million more Americans with questions about the new freedoms they can safely enjoy.
“I hope I can see more of my great-grandchildren,” 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, it’s as good as it will be.”
Tami Katz-Freiman, 65, of Miami, received her second dose three weeks ago and plans to watch the Miami Film Festival practically on Sunday with unvaccinated friends. All will wear masks.
“We didn’t have to discuss this with each other because it’s very clear to me that when in doubt and you don’t have a simple CDC rule, you better be good.” aside and take care of yourself, ”Katz -Freiman said.
Three weeks ago, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people were not required to quarantine if they came in contact with someone with a confirmed infection (for 90 days after the last shot). But the agency said nothing more, noted Dr Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of public health at George Washington University.
“This (the quarantine guidelines) seems to me to imply that your chances of contracting COVID-19 and being a carrier for others are pretty low,” said Wen, who previously headed the Baltimore Department of Health.
“(But) we have to focus on what’s most relevant to people’s lives, and my patients don’t come and ask me, ‘If I’m vaccinated, do I still have to quarantine if I’m exposed? “She 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 the duration of vaccine-induced immunity and the ability of those vaccinated to pass the virus on to others. Answers are important in telling someone what kind of risk they face in different contexts and how much risk they pose to others.
“Vaccines at their best, in clinical trials, were 95% effective, I didn’t say 100%. And that’s why we have to continue to wear masks most of the time, ”said Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.
But the CDC had to come up with something more for those vaccinated than just sticking to the same old wearing mask, social distancing advice, he added.
“People are so eager to do something and they want to see some tangible benefits from vaccines. Americans are impatient. They want to continue, ”Schaffner said.
Indeed, “there is a real cost to postponing this advice,” as people look to their own doctors for advice or just make their own assumptions and decisions, Wen said.
Waiting too long may diminish the agency’s relevance to this kind of issue, said Wen, who believes the CDC should have had some sort of guidelines in place for those vaccinated in January.
Obviously, those vaccinated should have been encouraged to attend cancer checkups, dental treatment, or other necessary medical appointments. CDC officials could also have said that it’s okay for small groups of fully vaccinated people – maybe two or three couples, for example – to get together for a dinner party or other small get-together, she said. declared.
Regarding small gatherings among people who have been fully vaccinated, “the relative risk is so low that you wouldn’t have to wear a mask, that you could have a good social gathering at home,” said the doctor. Dr Anthony Fauci, government official. infectious disease doctor, at a recent White House briefing.
Some experts have discussed the possibility that cinemas, cruise ships or some other business will open up to people who have been vaccinated and ask for proof of their vaccination status. The Israeli government has started issuing 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 kind of laissez-passer, like it did in Israel,” Wen said. But companies might want such passes and they would be an incentive that could help the overall vaccination rate, Wen said.
The only incentive Espinoza’s family needed for the vaccination was to see her and her husband hospitalized with COVID-19 this winter. Still recovering, she uses oxygen at home.
Vaccinating the elders of the family means one more step towards returning to the traditions they love: the church on Palm Sunday and, a week later, an Easter egg hunt for the children and a meal with barbacoa. slow cooked, Mexican beef dish.
“I hope people stay home and stay safe as much as possible until we can all get vaccinated and eradicate this disease,” Espinoza said.
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This story has been updated to correct Gottlieb’s first name.
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Associated Press reporter Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.
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