Dr. Fauci and the CDC address equitable ways to reach out to unvaccinated Americans in time for the new variant.
On May 18 at 10:15 a.m., Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and the members of the WH response team talked about the progress made in COVID-19 equity, as well as the Coronavirus variant that is sweeping the nation.
Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced that leftover vaccines will be sent to other countries that need protection. More than 80 million doses will be sent overseas during the next six weeks. The United States will work alongside Kovacs to ensure a safe and equitable delivery for other nations in need of the vaccine.
With the country making progress on keeping the vaccine equitable to everyone, Dr. Smith presented the numbers of at-risk individuals that have received the vaccine.
The latest data:
—80% of seniors have had at least one of their shots.
—over 80% of Hispanics have received their shot.
—over 70% of African Americans have received their shot as of today.
Dr. Smith gave thanks to the Federal Vaccination Channels that have given everyone the opportunity to receive the vaccine. With the touch of a button, individuals can type in their zip code online to find the nearest vaccination site with shots readily available.
Reaching out to rural communities
Following the topic of equity, solutions on how to reach out to rural communities about getting vaccinated was another well-needed conversation that was held. Only 39% of individuals that live in a rural community have been vaccinated, compared to 46% of urban counties that have been vaccinated. “We remain committed to listening and to reaching out to communities in every corner of the United States,” said Dr. Walensky. “Public health staff are working nationwide to provide trusted information by a trusted messenger, meeting people where they are wherever they are.”
By the end of the briefing, Dr. Fauci made it a priority to touch base on the new Coronavirus variant. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Pfizer was shown to neutralize the size of COVID. In another study, Moderna also showed protection against the new variant. The mRNA strand in Moderna was able to maintain binding and functional antibodies, which kept a higher protection rate for individuals that have been vaccinated. “So in summary, this is just another example of the scientific data accruing…” said Dr. Fauci “…indicating another very strong reason why we should be getting vaccinated.”
With progress being made to expand our knowledge on health equity, in spite of COVD-19, we are now able to address the communities that need our help the most.
Read also: COVID-19 Will Be Gone Soon