US considers tightening mask guidance for vaccinated Americans
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US health officials are discussing tightening their guidance on masks for vaccinated Americans, reversing their looser approach as the country grapples with new surges of coronavirus infections related to the Delta variant.
Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN on Sunday that a change in the masking recommendations was under “active consideration” in light of the rising cases across the country.
After huge success early in the year in rolling out vaccinations, the Biden administration is now facing renewed pressure to control the pandemic, particularly in parts of the country where vaccinations have lagged, infections have soared and hospitalisations have started rising again.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended mask-wearing for unvaccinated Americans, but relaxed its guidance for vaccinated Americans in May saying they would be able to be unmasked in many indoor settings.
Even though the White House has stuck by that advice on mask-wearing in recent days, Fauci said he had been holding conversations about changing those guidelines, in what would be a significant U-turn for the administration. Meanwhile, Biden administration officials have also indicated they are looking into whether some vaccinated Americans might need an extra shot — known as a booster — in order to maintain their protection.
US health experts are concerned that America could be heading for a dangerous new wave of cases nationwide if it does not rapidly ramp up inoculations again — a concern echoed by Fauci.
“We’re going in the wrong direction if you look at the inflection of the curve in cases,” Fauci said. “If we don’t vaccinate people, the model is going to predict that we’re going to be in trouble,” he added.
One reason for changing the masking guidance is that “breakthrough” infections even among the vaccinated with no or mild symptoms could exacerbate the spread of the pandemic among vulnerable populations.
Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told CBS on Sunday that mask-wearing could “still be helpful” for the vaccinated and people needed to be aware of the high transmission rates of the virus.
“If you’re around vulnerable people, if you’re taking care of a newborn or an elderly patient and you’re vaccinated and if you don’t feel well, you should probably get yourself checked out and not assume you’re impervious to any kind of infection even if you’re vaccinated,” Gottlieb said.
The return of pandemic concerns in the US risks crowding out Biden’s other priorities for the second half of his first year in office, including additional economic legislation, police reform and voting rights bills.
Politically, much of the pressure and criticism has fallen on Republican lawmakers both at the national and local level who have failed to cheerlead for vaccinations or doubted their efficacy. But Democrats and the White House may also suffer if Americans feel as though the country is sliding backwards on the pandemic and new restrictions are imposed on economic activity.
“We are not where we were a year ago or six months ago by any stretch. We have highly effective vaccines. So the push now is to get vaccinated,” Gina Raimondo, the US commerce secretary, told CBS on Sunday.