Washington – Dr Scott Gottlieb, who heads the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said on Sunday that COVID-19 vaccines “should be a counterpart” to a new variant of coronavirus detected in the UK that is now has identified in the United States.
“The good news with B.1.1.7, if there’s any good news, is that as we vaccinate in addition to the population, it should be a counterweight to the continued spread of this variant,” Gottlieb said of the strain of the UK in an interview with “Face the Nation”.
New variants of coronavirus have been identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil and are now circulating worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The UK variant, B.1.1.7., Has been reported in 30 states, while the South African variant, B.1.351, and the Brazilian variant, P.1, have been reported in South Carolina. and Minnesota, respectively.
Gottlieb said there is evidence to suggest that the UK strain causes more serious diseases and is about 50% more communicable, but noted that data from trials of Johnson & Johnson and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, who develop the coronavirus vaccine, show immunization, and previous infections appear protective against the variant.
“Prior immunity and vaccines appear to be just as effective against this new variant,” he said. “So as we immunize more than the population and if people continue to wear masks and watch in these areas of the country, we can keep it at bay. It’s not too late, but it’s a real risk for these regions of the country now. “.
Gottlieb predicted there could be booster shots to protect himself from variants for the fall and said the FDA is working on a regulatory framework to allow vaccine boosters to be licensed.
“I think this framework will be mapped out and companies have said they are already working on these new drivers. We could have them in time for the fall of all these vaccines. There’s no reason not to,” he said. to say.
Gottlieb said there is unlikely to be a national epidemic with B.1.1.7 in the spring and summer, although autumn poses a risk. Instead, he predicted there will be regionalized epidemics, with California and South Florida the current hot spots. According to the CDC, 113 cases of the British variant were reported in California and 125 cases in Florida.
“These cities need to be very mindful of the spread of these variants,” he said.
There have been more than 26 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and about 440,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. But the Biden administration warns that the death toll will exceed 500,000 and projects another 90,000 Americans to die of COVID-19 in the next four weeks.
However, hospitalizations and the spread of COVID-19 appear to be declining.
Gottlieb said the nation has “the potential to turn the corner,” but acknowledged that the new variants create risk.
“Things are clearly improving across the country,” he said. “We can’t get our foot in the door too quickly when it comes to the things people do, like putting on masks and being more vigilant. That’s probably what’s driving infection rates across the country right now. “.