GEOFF: AFTER THE FEDERAL COURT RULING THIS PAST WEEK STRIKING DOWN THE FEDERAL MASK MANDATES
ON PLANES AND PUBLIC TRANSIT, VERY FEW INDOOR MASKING REQUIREMENTS REMAIN IN THE U.S. THAT'S
AS PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS BRACE FOR THE NEXT COVID SURGE AND PARENTS OF KIDS UNDER 5 ANXIOUSLY
AWAIT FOR AN APPROVED VACCINE FOR THEM.
FOR MORE ON THIS, I SPOKE WITH
DR. PETER HOTEZ.
HE IS A PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS
AND MOLECULAR VIROLOGY AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND
CO-DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S CENTER FOR VACCINE
DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PANDEMIC, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF
INDOOR MASKING BECOMING OPTIONAL IN MOST PLACES?
AND NOW ON PLANES, BUSES AND TRAINS IN MOST CASES, GIVEN THE
FEDERAL RULING?
DR. HOTEZ: CLEARLY WE WILL NOT
HAVE TO REQUIRE MASKS IN PERPETUITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS ANYBODY'S INTENTION.
MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO KEEP MASK MANDATES IN PLACE AT LEAST
UNTIL WE GET OVER THIS BA.2 HUMP, BECAUSE THIS SUBVARIANT
IS THE MOST TRANSMISSIBLE WE HAVE SEEN, UP THERE WITH THE
LEVEL OF MEASLES.
THIS ONLY WORKS WELL IF BOTH THE
RECIPIENT OF THE VIRUS AND THE DELIVERER OF THE VIRUS ARE
MASKED AND THEN IT GREATLY REDUCES RISK.
TO HAVE IT ONE-SIDED IS NOT NEARLY AS EFFICIENT.
GEOFF: FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, DOES THE SHIFT AWAY
FROM MASKING MAKE IT HARDER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO REINSTATE
MASK MANDATES IF THERE IS ANOTHER WAVE?
DR. HOTEZ: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THIS IS WHAT I WORRY ABOUT.
WE ONLY HAVE A LIMITED TOOLBOX IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO
CONTROL THIS VIRUS.
VACCINES AND BOOSTING BEING ONE
OF THEM BUT THE OTHER IS WEARING
MASKS.
WE ARE AT A LOW POINT IN TERMS
OF VIRUS TRANSMISSION, WE CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT WEARING MASKS,
BUT WHEN VIRUS TRANSMISSION GOES UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE HIGHLY
TRANSMISSIBLE VARIANTS, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT EVERYBODY HAS A
MASK ON AND PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL
THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT MASK MANDATES FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME
WHEN TRANSMISSION IS GOING UP.
IT IS REALLY UNFORTUNATE WHAT
HAPPENED WITH THAT FEDERAL JUDGE IN FLORIDA TO UNDERMINE THE
CDC'S EFFORTS.
GEOFF: LET'S TALK ABOUT
VARIANTS.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE PANDEMIC
AFTER THE BA.2 WAVE?
DR. HOTEZ: AFTER THIS WAVE, I
THINK WE WILL GET A REPRIEVE, MAYBE FOR A FEW WEEKS OR A FEW
MONTHS, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.
HERE IS WHAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT
NEXT.
WE HAVE HAD A PRETTY SERIOUS
WAVE OF COVID-19 IN SOUTHERN STATES AND IN TEXAS OF THE
SUMMER OF 2020 AND SUMMER OF 2021, SO I HAVE TO BELIEVE WE ARE
AT RISK FROM ANOTHER VARIANT TO BE DETERMINED COMING FROM ABROAD
HITTING THE SOUTHERN STATES IN TEXAS STARTING IN JULY AGAIN.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE NEED TO ASK PEOPLE TO PUT MASKS ON AGAIN IN
ADDITION TO KEEPING UP WITH BOOSTERS.
THERE ARE MODELS THAT SAY WE COULD BE IN FOR REGULAR WINTER
WAVES OF COVID-19 JUST AS WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING WITH UPPER
RESPIRATORY CORONAVIRUS EVEN PRE-PANDEMIC.
THIS PANDEMIC IT COULD LAST A FEW YEARS.
BEING ABLE TO ADJUST OUR REQUIREMENTS TO MANAGE IT DURING
THESE PERIODS WHEN TRANSMISSION IS GOING UP WILL BE THE KEY TO
SAVING LIVES.
GEOFF: LET'S TALK ABOUT
VACCINATIONS FOR AGES ZERO TO
FIVE.
HEALTH OFFICIALS ONCE HOPED TO
AUTHORIZE SHOTS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AT THE BEGINNING OF
THIS YEAR AND NOW THEY ARE SEEING JUNE MOST LIKELY.
WHAT IS THE LATEST AND WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE DELAY?
DR. HOTEZ: I THINK THE DELAY IS THE FACT THAT THEY WENT DOWN TO
A MUCH LOWER DOSE OF VACCINE FOR THE UNDER FIVE AND THEY GOT LESS
OF A ROBUST IMMUNE RESPONSE FROM THESE REALLY YOUNG KIDS AND NOW
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WILL NEED A THIRD DOSE IN ORDER TO GIVE
ADEQUATE LEVELS OF PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY.
MOST LIKELY WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS WAITING TO SEE THE DATA FROM
THE THIRD DOSE BEFORE THEY GREENLIGHT IT.
GEOFF: WHEN WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST, YOU MADE THE POINT THAT IF
WE END THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE A COVID VACCINE
AVAILABLE TO UNDERSERVED NATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE TO PREVENT
FUTURE VARIANTS FROM FORMING.
YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE
DEVELOPED A LOW-COST VACCINATION.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
DR. HOTEZ: DELTA ROSE OUT OF AN UNVACCINATED POPULATION IN INDIA
LAST YEAR, AND OMICRON OUT OF AN UNVACCINATED POPULATION IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA.
UNTIL WE VACCINATE LOW END
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES, MOTHER NATURE WILL CONTINUE TO HURL
SIGNIFICANT VARIANTS OF CONCERN
AT US.
WE DEVELOPED A VACCINE USING AN
OLDER TECHNOLOGY THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE IN MANY LOW AND MIDDLE
INCOME COUNTRIES.
WE USED THAT SAME APPROACH FOR
COVID-19 VACCINE THAT LOOKS REALLY PROMISING IN TERMS OF
LEVELS OF PROTECTIVE ANTIBODY AND T-CELL RESPONSES.
WE LICENSED IT IN INDONESIA, BANGLADESH AND BOTSWANA.
IT IS GREAT WE CAN MAKE THAT KIND OF CONTRIBUTION TO
ADDRESSING VACCINE INEQUALITY.
GEOFF: CERTAINLY ENCOURAGING.
GREAT TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND NEXT WEEK ON "THE NEWSHOUR," JOHN YANG REPORTS ON THE
"VACCINE FOR THE WORLD" DEVELOPED BY DR.
HOTEZ AND HIS
TEAM TO FIGHT COVID VACCINE INEQUITY.