JUDY WOODRUFF: In many states, fully
vaccinated Americans can now resume
a large variety of activities
without wearing a mask.
The new guidance announced
yesterday by the CDC was met
with jubilation in many quarters,
but there are concerns the changes for
indoor masking are happening too quickly.
Lisa Desjardins follows
up on those questions.
LISA DESJARDINS: Judy, some of
those concerns are tied to the
country's vaccination rates.
More than half of all Americans are not
yet fully vaccinated. And when you add
Americans under 18 years old, the nation
is at just 36 percent fully vaccinated.
Many places may not be ready to
ditch their masking requirements yet.
We look at those concerns with
Dr. Ranit Mishori. She is a
professor of family medicine
at Georgetown University and
senior medical adviser to
Physicians for Human Rights.
For the record, she's also an
adviser to our parent company, WETA.
Ranit, thank you so much for
joining us. Good to talk to you.
Let's start with these
concerns over health.
What are you concerned about, particularly
about the indoor mask-wearing or not?
Dr. RANIT MISHORI, Georgetown University
School of Medicine: Thanks, Lisa.
I think many experts and Americans
are a little bit concerned that
this may be perhaps premature,
perhaps too early. As you mentioned,
only 36 percent of Americans are fully
vaccinated. And if you look
at subgroups, we're talking
about 27 percent among Blacks.
So this is becoming a vaccine
equity issue, when you think
about who which populations are
more have higher rates of
vaccination, and those tend to be
more whites and more affluent people.
So, the concern is, it's not fair,
and those benefiting are those that maybe
not do not need the protection so much.
LISA DESJARDINS: Hmm.
The Centers for Disease Control
say the studies show that
people who are fully vaccinated
are, by and large, strongly protected and
they also see studies showing
that they are unlikely to be
able to pass on the disease.
So, taking that equity issue,
is there also a health issue,
or no? Is it safe for people
who are fully vaccinated? Are
they a threat to anyone else
without their masks indoors?
Dr. RANIT MISHORI: I think that,
definitely, the vaccines are very,
very effective, and
those studies are right.
But at a time when we don't know
who is fully vaccinated, you
don't know if the person in front
of you is fully vaccinated,
there are people who cannot get
vaccinated. There are children
who cannot get vaccinated. So a
lot of people are feeling unsafe.
And there are currently no ways
of determining or asking people
about their vaccination status.
There is no local systems.
And, in fact, it's perhaps not
part of an etiquette to be able
to ask the person in front of you
at the checkout counter, excuse
me, you're not wearing a mask,
but are you fully vaccinated?
So, we're hearing from a lot
of people concerned about that,
concerned that maybe people who
are immunocompromised and cannot
mount a full response, children
and other vulnerable people,
may actually have to continue
wearing a mask, and sort of
defeats the purpose here.
LISA DESJARDINS: I know you're not
just thinking about these in an
academic or philosophical sense.
You work at Georgetown University,
and I know you're helping
advise them on what to do
with patients in their facilities. I'm
really curious. We heard from some folks
earlier in the broadcast about the
dilemma a lot of businesses are in.
What are your concerns
for who enforces this
or not when it comes to just
regular run-of-the-mill activity?
Dr. RANIT MISHORI: I think
you're absolutely right.
And we're not unique. And all businesses,
institutions are currently in a bit of a
chaotic situation. It's very confusing,
because it's, sadly, up to us,
up to the until individual businesses,
up to individual institutions,
to decide whether or not they're going
to endorse the CDC recommendations.
It's up to states. It's up to
municipalities. So, this is
causing a little bit of confusion.
And you can -- as the people
in the segment you showed
before, the business owners,
have said, what is going to happen when
people unmasked are going to come in?
Am I going to feel safe going into a
place that doesn't require masking?
Or am I, as a business owner, as
a person leading an institution,
do I have the right to ask
people to step outside and leave or
show me their vaccination record?
So, it's going to cause a lot
of confusion, and it's going to
make it a little messy to know how
to behave in different settings.
LISA DESJARDINS: A confusing
time, but one of hope.
Thank you for helping us put our
hands around where we are right now,
Dr. Ranit Mishori of
Georgetown University.
DR. RANIT MISHORI: Thank you so much.