Washington – Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said on Sunday that the coronavirus vaccines currently being distributed in the United States should provide “ reasonable protection ” against new strains discovered in the United Kingdom, South Africa. Africa and Brazil. .
“I really think the existing vaccines will provide reasonable protection against these new variants. And we may also be able to develop a consensus strain in a timely manner, perhaps within four or six months, that will contain much of the different variation that we are seeing. boosters are available for the fall, “Gottlieb said in an interview with” Face the Nation. “” So I think there is a fair chance we can get ahead of this virus while it mutates. “
Gottlieb said that as a “rule of thumb” it can be assumed that the vaccines will be about 20% less effective against the new strains from Brazil and South Africa. But he stressed that even if its effectiveness decreases, “you still get very good protection” against mRNA vaccines, such as the Moderna and Pfizer injections, which were approved by the FDA.
The new variants, which are circulating worldwide, were identified in the last months of 2020 and early 2021 and have since been discovered in the United States. The UK strain, B.1.1.7, has been found in 33 states, while the South African strain, B.1.351, has been found in two states. The variant from Brazil, P.1., Has since been detected in one state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the US, South Florida and Southern California have emerged as hot spots for the British species, which is more contagious, according to public health officials. In South Florida, the new variety makes up between 5% and 10% of infections, and in Southern California, about 5% of infections are British. But for the rest of the country, Gottlieb said the variant is less than 1% of infections.
“I think for the most part across the country it’s probably too little or too late,” he said. “We will probably get there with our vaccines and the seasonal effect of the warming weather.”
The new strains of coronavirus have underscored the need to accelerate the pace of vaccine distribution, and the Biden administration has taken steps to get more shots in the arms of Americans more quickly, including by sending doses directly to pharmacies.
Gottlieb said the new administration has “made great strides” in the distribution of vaccines, delivering as many as 2 million vaccine doses on some days. He predicted that 250 million vaccines will be on the market by the end of March if Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine is approved by the FDA for emergency use, and another 100 million vaccines by April.
“If you assume a 60-40 split between first doses and second doses, you assume that about 60% of the supply that comes on the market goes to the first doses. At the end of March, we delivered 150 million vaccines and in April another 60 million, ”he said. “The demand will run out. I mean, I think we should start thinking about the demand side of this equation soon.”
In addition to pledging to deliver 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, President Biden also promised that most schools would reopen during that period. The CDC is expected to release guidelines this week on how to safely reopen schools, and CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky suggested on Wednesday that the vaccination of teachers is not a “prerequisite” to get children back in the classroom.
Gottlieb said implementing restrictive measures, such as wearing masks, keeping your distance, and taking precautions in the classroom, should be a prerequisite for opening schools.
“The schools are not a vector of transmission and especially children under 14 are less likely to be infected as well as to transmit the infection,” he said. “I think it would certainly be good to prioritize teachers getting them vaccinated so they don’t run the risk of contracting the infection and spreading the infection. But I don’t think it’s a requirement per se. think schools have shown that they can open safely if they take precautions in the classroom. “