Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Cites Evolving Science As Sole Driver Of Mask Guidance U-Turn
AP: CDC Director Says Mask Turnaround Based Solely On Science
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday defended the decision to ease mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, stressing that increasing political pressure had nothing to do with the abrupt shift in guidelines. “I’m delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals. And it evolved,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on FOX News Sunday. “I deliver it as soon as I can when we have that information available.” (Kruesi, 5/16)
Politico: CDC Chief Said Change On Mask Guidance Not Due To Public Pressure
The CDC's recent decision to update its mask guidance had nothing to do with pressure from the American people, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Sunday morning. "If you are vaccinated, we are saying you are safe. You can take off your mask and you are not at risk of severe disease or hospitalization from Covid-19," she said on "Fox News Sunday." (Weaver, 5/16)
CNN: Coronavirus And Masks: CDC Director Says Unvaccinated People Need To Be Honest With Themselves
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Sunday that people have to be honest with themselves when deciding whether to wear a mask after the agency lifted masking requirements for vaccinated people. The CDC last week updated its guidance for people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to say they generally do not need to wear a mask, except in certain circumstances. The updated guidance also says people still need to wear masks if they're unvaccinated, including people younger than 12. (Duster and Thomas, 5/16)
CBS News: Fauci Says CDC's Updated Mask Guidance Is "Based On The Evolution Of The Science"
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said Sunday that updated mask guidance for Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 was "based on the evolution of the science" as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) learned more about the real-world effectiveness of the shots. "The underlying reason for the CDC doing this was just based on the evolution of the science," Fauci said in an interview with "Face the Nation" on last week's announcement. "But if in fact this serves as an incentive for people to get vaccinated, all the better. I hope it does actually." (Quinn, 5/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Health Officials Seek To Clarify Covid-19 Mask Guidelines
U.S. public-health officials tried to address confusion about new masking guidelines released last week, reiterating that vaccinated individuals are at low risk of catching or spreading Covid-19 but leaving the future of mask mandates up to local jurisdictions and private businesses. “This is not permission for widespread removal of masks,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Sunday on ABC. “We were going to get to the point in the pandemic where the vaccinated could take off their masks.” (Rubin and Abbott, 5/16)
