Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel told CNBC on Friday that he believes it is important for people to keep their faces covered, especially in schools, until a larger percentage of the U.S. population has received the Covid vaccine.
In an interview with “Squawk Box,” the former Obama health adviser said he did not advocate “permanent masks” on society. Rather, he said he remains concerned about those who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine: children under 12 years of age.
Once again children can be vaccinated against Covid and additional adults are vaccinated, “you will have the situation where the virus will be extinguished because there will be no vulnerable people. This is where we want to be” We are far from this place ” , said Emanuel, who currently serves as vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania.
“When we are away from this place, we have to vaccinate people. We have to wear masks. We have to improve ventilation in the school. All this is feasible and all that can make the school much safer and that parents are at ease. ”added Emanuel, who was the Obama administration’s health policy adviser from 2009 to 2011. He also advised President Joe Biden’s transition team on the Covid pandemic.
About 52% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against Covid, while about 61% have had at least one dose, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those eligible for the vaccine, 12 years of age or older, nearly 61% are fully immunized and 71.5% have had at least one dose.
These percentages are not adequate to really curb the pandemic in the U.S., Emanuel said. To improve the uptake of the coronavirus vaccine, Emanuel suggested that the U.S. impose a nationwide mandate. While this seems unlikely to actually happen, Biden administration officials have in recent days increased pressure on companies to institute employee vaccination requirements now that the Food and Drug Administration has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine twice.
“Why do we have this extremely effective intervention and about half of the population does not use it? Some are not eligible, but there are many people in the country, as I mentioned among young teenagers, aged 12 to 15, who are eligible but do not have access to it, ”Emanuel said.
Full FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine is for people over 16 years of age. The vaccine was cleaned up for those ages 12 to 15 in May on an emergency use basis, while tests are being conducted for children under it.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told NBC News earlier this week that the company expects to have data on children ages 5 to 11 in September, which it will then submit to the FDA.
Modern, which like Pfizer manufactures a two-dose mRNA vaccine, submitted full FDA approval in June. The application of the biotechnology company is still being considered. Johnson & Johnson has not yet applied for full regulatory authorization for the single-shot Covid vaccine.