Director of disease control and prevention centers Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, walks on a tightrope on pandemic messages on Sunday, showing the preview: Democrats approve infrastructure bill; health experts warn of fourth wave of coronavirus Night care: CDC says fully vaccinated people can travel safely | Biden regrets those who act as if COVID-19 is fighting | Will vaccine passports be the biggest number in the 2022 campaign? MONTH it is in a delicate position as it seeks to balance the optimism of growing vaccines with the reality that the US is still heavily controlled by a deadly pandemic.
Walensky began his CDC job with a reputation as a smart communicator, tasked with saving the reputation of an agency that was beaten under the Trump administration.
“When I started at CDC about two months ago, I made you a promise: I would tell you the truth, even if it wasn’t the news we wanted to hear,” Walensky told reporters recently.
Walensky’s expertise lies in HIV research, like its predecessor Robert Redfield
Robert Redfield, director of CDC, walks on a tightrope on pandemic messages. Biologist Bret Weinstein says COVID-19 probably came from a laboratory. CDC must rescind wrong policy linking asylum seekers to COVID MOREand before she was appointed to lead the CDC she was head of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.
While his former co-workers say Walensky is the perfect fit for the CDC site, his skills are being put to the test as he faces criticism for being too negative and too hopeful.
“She’s a pretty compelling and clear communicator, but she’s a set of challenging messages to try to get out of,” said Chris Beyrer, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Public health messages during a global pandemic are complicated enough, but experts say that particular time is especially difficult.
After weeks of decline and after stagnation, the rate of coronavirus infections has begun to rise again in much of the country. Cases have increased by about 12% nationally compared to the previous week, averaging about 62,000 cases a day, according to the CDC.
At the same time, nearly 100 million Americans have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. Many states are expanding the possibility of vaccination, in some cases to all adults, and federal health officials say there will be enough supply so everyone can get vaccinated by the end of May.
Walensky tried to emphasize both aspects this week when he launched an excited appeal to the audience.
“We have a lot of desire to wait, so many promises and potential of where we are, and so many reasons for hope. But right now I’m scared,” Walensky said, adding that he had a “sense of impending doom.” if people continued to ignore public health precautions.
However, almost in the next breath, he spoke of a new “tremendously encouraging” study that showed that vaccinated people had 90% protection against infection, that is, that they had an extremely low risk of spreading the disease. virus.
While this may seem like a mixed messaging, experts say it accurately reflects not only the current situation, but also how the country has reacted to the virus over the past year.
“Whiplash is a true reflection of how we are experiencing the epidemic and its response. So I’d rather be honest about it and others be, than give people what they want … make them feel better.” , said Judith Auerbach, a professor in the medical school at the University of California at San Francisco.
Auerbach, who previously worked with Walensky on HIV research, praised the director’s openness, which he said lacked agency leadership during the Trump administration.
“She’s being really honest about her own emotions. That’s hard for a fed up to do,” Auerbach said. “In fact, the science that says we still have to be pretty scared, because we’re in this race between vaccines … in the face of the advent of these variants, and she felt it on a visceral level, and she to convey that in a way that I found quite revealing. “
Glen Nowak, director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication at the University of Georgia and former director of media relations at CDC, said Walensky’s candidacy helps establish credibility.
“She has embraced the fact that credibility comes from being transparent, honest and genuine about your fears and concerns,” Nowak said.
The CDC refused to make Walensky available for an interview, but in a statement to The Hill, an agency spokesman said each communication reflects the latest science and epidemiology.
“Sometimes, the moments have to balance the hope of getting out of the pandemic with the reality that we haven’t gotten out of it yet,” the spokesman said.
“We recognize the challenge of conveying this hope and promise that vaccines offer with the reality that cases and deaths are increasing. While we are sending the critical message that people cannot and should not set aside their prevention measures, we remain very optimistic about what the future of a fully vaccinated public will offer ”.
On Friday, Walensky was again criticized for his messages. According to the updated guidelines, the CDC said it is safe for people who have been completely vaccinated to travel.
But Walensky took a cautious tone saying the CDC still recommends anyone, vaccinated or not, avoid non-essential travel because the number of infections is very high.
“We know we have a growing number of cases right now,” Walensky said during a White House briefing. “I would advocate general travel in general. Our guidance will not recommend recommending or not recommending fully vaccinated travel. Our guidance speaks to the safety of doing so.”
Nowak said part of what makes public health messaging so difficult is the fact that science doesn’t always treat absolutes and that the general public doesn’t do well with nuances.
“Often people don’t want to hear the nuance; they want advice and guidance to be stable. They get frustrated with changes or when they seem contradictory. They also get frustrated if it doesn’t match their daily lives. Experiences,” Nowak said. .
With the travel guide, Walensky tried to explain the balance he was trying to reach and asked for patience and understanding from the audience.
“I want to recognize today that providing guidance in the midst of a changing pandemic and its changing science is complex,” Walensky said.
“Science shows us that getting fully vaccinated allows you to do more things safely and it’s important that we provide this guidance, even in the context of increasing cases. At the same time, we need to balance science with the fact that most Americans are not yet fully vaccinated, which will likely help increase our cases, ”he said.
Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policies at the Kaiser Family Foundation who has known Walensky for decades, said she believes the CDC director is aware that she cannot escape criticism, especially when so many people are tired of pandemic.
If the CDC is too strict and refuses to support relatively normal behavior, especially after getting vaccinated, it could risk people refusing to receive the shot, Kates said.
But if the agency gives an image that is too rosy, more people could act as if the pandemic is over and there is a risk of it spreading even further.
“It’s important for public officials to always keep in mind that their words are being heard and can be removed from the context, or that it can be difficult for people to understand,” Kates said. “So I think Dr. Walensky is a great communicator, but that doesn’t mean this is always easy to do and the balance is always simple.”