WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.160 JUDY WOODRUFF: In many states, fully vaccinated Americans can now resume 00:04.160 --> 00:08.000 a large variety of activities without wearing a mask. 00:08.000 --> 00:13.000 The new guidance announced yesterday by the CDC was met with jubilation in many quarters, 00:13.760 --> 00:18.760 but there are concerns the changes for indoor masking are happening too quickly. 00:19.040 --> 00:21.760 Lisa Desjardins follows up on those questions. 00:21.760 --> 00:26.760 LISA DESJARDINS: Judy, some of those concerns are tied to the country's vaccination rates. 00:28.240 --> 00:33.200 More than half of all Americans are not yet fully vaccinated. And when you add 00:33.200 --> 00:38.200 Americans under 18 years old, the nation is at just 36 percent fully vaccinated. 00:39.600 --> 00:43.440 Many places may not be ready to ditch their masking requirements yet. 00:43.440 --> 00:47.920 We look at those concerns with Dr. Ranit Mishori. She is a professor of family medicine 00:47.920 --> 00:52.800 at Georgetown University and senior medical adviser to Physicians for Human Rights. 00:52.800 --> 00:57.280 For the record, she's also an adviser to our parent company, WETA. 00:57.280 --> 01:00.240 Ranit, thank you so much for joining us. Good to talk to you. 01:00.240 --> 01:02.560 Let's start with these concerns over health. 01:03.120 --> 01:08.120 What are you concerned about, particularly about the indoor mask-wearing or not? 01:08.800 --> 01:10.720 Dr. RANIT MISHORI, Georgetown University School of Medicine: Thanks, Lisa. 01:10.720 --> 01:15.720 I think many experts and Americans are a little bit concerned that this may be perhaps premature, 01:18.320 --> 01:23.120 perhaps too early. As you mentioned, only 36 percent of Americans are fully 01:23.120 --> 01:28.120 vaccinated. And if you look at subgroups, we're talking about 27 percent among Blacks. 01:28.880 --> 01:33.880 So this is becoming a vaccine equity issue, when you think about who which populations are 01:35.920 --> 01:40.920 more have higher rates of vaccination, and those tend to be more whites and more affluent people. 01:42.400 --> 01:44.720 So, the concern is, it's not fair, 01:44.720 --> 01:49.720 and those benefiting are those that maybe not do not need the protection so much. 01:49.920 --> 01:52.720 LISA DESJARDINS: Hmm. 01:52.720 --> 01:57.600 The Centers for Disease Control say the studies show that people who are fully vaccinated 01:58.160 --> 02:01.280 are, by and large, strongly protected and 02:01.840 --> 02:06.840 they also see studies showing that they are unlikely to be able to pass on the disease. 02:06.880 --> 02:11.880 So, taking that equity issue, is there also a health issue, or no? Is it safe for people 02:13.600 --> 02:17.360 who are fully vaccinated? Are they a threat to anyone else without their masks indoors? 02:17.360 --> 02:20.400 Dr. RANIT MISHORI: I think that, definitely, the vaccines are very, 02:20.400 --> 02:23.120 very effective, and those studies are right. 02:23.120 --> 02:28.120 But at a time when we don't know who is fully vaccinated, you don't know if the person in front 02:28.400 --> 02:33.040 of you is fully vaccinated, there are people who cannot get vaccinated. There are children 02:33.040 --> 02:38.040 who cannot get vaccinated. So a lot of people are feeling unsafe. And there are currently no ways 02:40.000 --> 02:45.000 of determining or asking people about their vaccination status. 02:45.040 --> 02:50.040 There is no local systems. And, in fact, it's perhaps not 02:50.880 --> 02:54.240 part of an etiquette to be able to ask the person in front of you 02:54.240 --> 02:58.080 at the checkout counter, excuse me, you're not wearing a mask, but are you fully vaccinated? 02:58.080 --> 03:03.080 So, we're hearing from a lot of people concerned about that, concerned that maybe people who 03:03.680 --> 03:08.680 are immunocompromised and cannot mount a full response, children and other vulnerable people, 03:11.520 --> 03:16.520 may actually have to continue wearing a mask, and sort of defeats the purpose here. 03:17.840 --> 03:21.680 LISA DESJARDINS: I know you're not just thinking about these in an academic or philosophical sense. 03:21.680 --> 03:26.680 You work at Georgetown University, and I know you're helping advise them on what to do 03:27.200 --> 03:31.760 with patients in their facilities. I'm really curious. We heard from some folks 03:31.760 --> 03:36.240 earlier in the broadcast about the dilemma a lot of businesses are in. 03:36.240 --> 03:39.360 What are your concerns for who enforces this 03:39.360 --> 03:42.800 or not when it comes to just regular run-of-the-mill activity? 03:42.800 --> 03:45.280 Dr. RANIT MISHORI: I think you're absolutely right. 03:45.280 --> 03:50.280 And we're not unique. And all businesses, institutions are currently in a bit of a 03:51.200 --> 03:55.440 chaotic situation. It's very confusing, because it's, sadly, up to us, 03:55.440 --> 03:58.720 up to the until individual businesses, up to individual institutions, 03:58.720 --> 04:03.120 to decide whether or not they're going to endorse the CDC recommendations. 04:03.120 --> 04:07.520 It's up to states. It's up to municipalities. So, this is causing a little bit of confusion. 04:08.480 --> 04:12.720 And you can -- as the people in the segment you showed before, the business owners, 04:14.000 --> 04:19.000 have said, what is going to happen when people unmasked are going to come in? 04:19.920 --> 04:23.680 Am I going to feel safe going into a place that doesn't require masking? 04:23.680 --> 04:28.680 Or am I, as a business owner, as a person leading an institution, do I have the right to ask 04:29.600 --> 04:34.600 people to step outside and leave or show me their vaccination record? So, it's going to cause a lot 04:35.920 --> 04:40.920 of confusion, and it's going to make it a little messy to know how to behave in different settings. 04:41.840 --> 04:46.840 LISA DESJARDINS: A confusing time, but one of hope. 04:47.120 --> 04:50.000 Thank you for helping us put our hands around where we are right now, 04:50.000 --> 04:52.160 Dr. Ranit Mishori of Georgetown University. 04:52.160 --> 04:55.840 DR. RANIT MISHORI: Thank you so much.