Washington – Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that an increase in youth coronavirus infections is triggering new outbreaks in some states, but he does not believe there will be a “true” fourth wave of the pandemic.
“What we’re seeing are outbreaks across the country, especially in younger people who haven’t been vaccinated and also in school-aged children,” Gottlieb said in an interview on “Face the Nation,” noting that the number of cases was on the rise. among school-aged children in Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
“You see outbreaks in schools and infections in social groups that have not been exposed to the virus before, which may provide better shelter, now they are out to be exposed to the virus and become infected,” he continued. “The infection is changing its outline in terms of who is currently affected.”
With the number of coronavirus cases increasing in 27 states and the District of Columbia, public health officials are urging Americans to remain vigilant in pursuing mitigation measures. But as the number of vaccinations continues to increase – 4 million doses were administered on Friday alone – and about 130 million Americans who have already contracted COVID-19, Gottlieb said the level of immunity in the US should prevent a fourth wave of the pandemic.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 104 million Americans have received at least one dose of their coronavirus vaccine as of Saturday, while 59.8 million Americans have been fully vaccinated.
“You have somewhere around 200 million Americans who already have some degree of immunity in them,” he said. “I think there is enough immunity in the population that you don’t get to see a real fourth wave of infection.”
As more young people are getting infected with COVID-19, Gottlieb said he doesn’t believe schools should close their doors to personal learning, but instead be made safer to stop the spread of the virus.
“I think we should have strict restrictions on the schools, the schools that use masks, schools that can implement some kind of distance, as an epidemiologist called it this week, go for the ‘full Harry Potter’ and try to keep students. within defined social cohorts, so they don’t mix in large groups, ”he said. “If you take those measures in schools, I think schools can be made safer, and I think the benefits of school time outweigh the risks. But we have to realize that schools are a risk factor, children are vulnerable to the infection and that schools can become focal points for the spread of the community if we’re not careful. ”
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines are approved for adults 18 and older, while Pfizer’s vaccine is approved for people 16 and older. But Pfizer and Moderna have tested their vaccines in children 12 and older and have begun clinical trials of their shots in young children.
Pfizer announced last week in a study of 2,260 American volunteers between the ages of 12 and 15 that its vaccine was found to be safe and showed 100% efficacy. Gottlieb serves on Pfizer’s board of directors.
Child vaccination will be critical to reopening schools and helping the US achieve herd immunity, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said Friday that he believes there could be enough information to help children. of any age to be vaccinated safely by the end of the year.
Gottlieb said he believes the FDA could approve the emergency Pfizers vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15 so that it is available before the start of the school year, but warned that it may take longer for children under the age of 12 to be approved. get their photos.
“I think we will be able to vaccinate 12 years and older before fall,” he said. “I think younger than that can take more time because you want to test many different doses to try to find the lowest possible dose that still gives a robust immune response to children.”
While public health officials are warning Americans not to go against the guidelines with the increase in coronavirus infections, families are continuing to travel for spring break and the Transportation Security Administration has reported a spike in airport investigations.
Gottlieb encouraged health officials to provide guidelines that the public will largely follow, but said it’s important for them to urge caution.
“You don’t want to get so out of step with the ambitions and where the audience is and what the audience will eventually do, that the guidance is just ignored. You have to spend the guidance in the context of what the audience is doing. , ‘he said.
Still, Gottlieb stressed that the US is in a “high prevalence environment” with new coronavirus variants in circulation.
“We don’t want to be in a position to expand the epidemic because we weren’t careful about the steps we were taking now,” he said. That said, people feel that there is less risk overall. When people get vaccinated, they feel they are at less risk and they do, based on the vaccination. And so they are willing to engage. to keep up with the things they’ve put off for a year, so we have to recognize that and I think people can give the guidance so that they can conform to, you know, their aspirations, which is that they want to see family again. want to start socializing. They want to travel a little. “