Anthony Stephen Fauci, Rochelle Paula Walensky, and Jeffrey Dunston Zients

“ But it is now possible, because of the aggressive actions we have taken, to get more vaccine supply, more vaccinators in the field, and more places for people to get vaccinated.
Overall, we’ve made significant progress toward our ultimate goal: getting Americans vaccinated as quickly, as efficiently, and as equitably as possible.
As you can see on our weekly vaccination progress report, for the last two weeks, we are consistently vaccinating 2.5 million Americans per day. To hit our 200 million shot goal, we need to keep up this pace every day for the next five weeks. ”

“ Not all Americans have access. And not all masks are equal. With this action, we are helping to level the playing field, giving vulnerable populations iquality, well-fitting masks.
When President Biden delivered his inaugural address, he made a very clear request to the country: Mask up. And he’s taken action to require masks in federal buildings, on federal lands, and on public transportation, like planes, trains, and buses.
The action we’re announcing today is a targeted step to help Americans respond to the President’s challenge to mask up to protect themselves and their fellow Americans. ”

“ For Americans who aren’t near a pharmacy or a community vaccination center, we’ve supported more than 500 mobile clinics to meet people where they are.
And today, I’m at the Ryan Health Center. Community health centers like Ryan Health serve 30 million people; 60 percent are people of color, and two-thirds of patients are below the poverty line. The administration is already sending vaccines directly to 250 of these community health centers. By the end of April, we will deliver vaccines to an additional 700 community health centers. ”

“ Half a million people dead from COVID-19. This pandemic has touched each of us. So many have lost loved ones. We’ve been separated from our friends and families. Too many of our businesses and schools have been closed for way too long. ”

“ You know, let me be clear that the government is not now, nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential. There’ll be no federal vaccination database, no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential.As these tools are being considered by the private and not-for-profit sectors, our interest is simple, and that’s about protecting Americans’ privacy and their rights so the systems aren’t used unfairly. ”

“ So, in total, about half the states will have opened up eligibility to all adults by mid-April.
The President’s new goal of 200 million shots in his first 100 days is only possible because of the President’s whole-of-government national strategy and our partnership with state, territorial, tribal, and local officials; vaccine manufacturers; federal workers; and the not-for-profit and private sectors.
Before I hand it over to Dr. Walensky to talk about the state of the pandemic, let me close by saying it’s clear there is a case for optimism, but there is not a case for relaxation. ”

“ We are working now with our state and federal partners to get anyone currently scheduled for a J&J vaccine quickly rescheduled for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. We’re seeing this take place across the country.
The President has committed to the American people that his administration will always lead with science, tell the truth, and give Americans the facts as we know them. Over the past 24 hours, we’ve been working to provide clear information to the public related to the J&J pause, engaging state and local health officials, governors, community leaders, clinicians, and medical experts. ”

“ How many people continue to have symptoms of COVID-19 or even, as we’ve seen, develop new symptoms that they did not have even as part of their acute infection? Importantly, what is the underlying biological cause of these prolonged symptoms? We refer to that as pathogenesis. What makes certain people vulnerable, while others recover fully and quickly and have no sequelae? ”

“ The concern is that throughout the country, there are a number of state, city, regions that are pulling back on some of the mitigation methods that we’ve been talking about: the withdrawal of mask mandates, the pulling back to essentially non-public health measures being implemented. This is something that each of us have expressed concern about that is really quite risky to declare victory before you have the level of infection in the community to a much, much lower level than 53,000 cases per day. ”

“ We certainly understand that people are tired and everyone wants to return to some state more normal as quickly as possible, but we can’t let down our guard. And the President is doing everything he can with the mask mandate on federal land and buildings, the mask mandate on interstate travel.Each time the President speaks about the virus, he reminds people that it’s a time, as I said earlier, for optimism but not for relaxation ”

“ First, trust and community confidence are cornerstones of our national vaccine efforts. Trusted voices are critical to building confidence in vaccines and addressing misinformation. Our community leaders are often those trusted voices.
We heard from national, state, and local health leaders about communication and public education campaigns they are deploying to combat myths and disinformation, and instill confidence and interest in COVID-19 vaccines, as well as tools and strategies healthcare providers can use when talking with their patients about COVID-19 vaccination. ”

“ Maybe I’ll chime in — thank you for that question, Kristen — that the evidence shows that the risk of COVID-19 transmission among younger children is much lower than it is among teenagers and adults. And in particular, our school studies have shown that when children — young children — are masked, the distance of three feet is, in fact, safe and has a lower transmission risk.For adults, we don’t have that evidence, and for older children, and so we’re continuing with the six foot guidance. ”

“ The J&J vaccine makes up less than 5 percent of the more than 190 million recorded shots in the arms in the U.S. to date.
The President has always said that we are at war with the virus. And as such, we have mobilized a wartime effort so that we’re prepared for a range of scenarios and contingencies. This is why the President took aggressive action earlier this year to move up manufacturing, production, and delivery schedules for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and to secure enough Pfizer and Moderna doses for 300 million Americans by the end of July. ”

“ We’re keeping equity at the front and center of our response, partnering with states, tribes, and territories to increase vaccinations in the hardest-hit and hardest-to-reach communities — increasing supply to convenient and trusted locations, like community health centers; deploying mobile units to meet people where they are; and improving data collection so that we have a better understanding of the inequities currently experienced. ”

“ The issue that would have someone think it’s possible to have escaped from a lab would mean that it essentially entered the outside human population already well adapted to humans, suggesting that it was adapted in the lab.However, the alternative explanation, which most public health individuals go by, is that this virus was actually circulating in China, likely in Wuhan, for a month or more before they were clinically recognized at the end of December of 2019. ”

“ Now I want to switch topics to the decision we made yesterday to pause administration on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. I have always told you I’m going to tell you the truth and I’m going to lead with science. And today is, once again, one of those moments.
CDC and FDA were alerted to six cases of rare types of blood clots, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, that occurred in combination with low levels of platelets — or a condition known as thrombocytopenia. Two individuals with these blood clots also had clots in their abdominal cavity or the veins of their gastrointestinal tract. ”

“ First, let me just acknowledge what the teachers have had to do this year in the context of COVID-19, and how they have had to evolve their thinking and their curricula, and how they teach their students in, truly, an overwhelming and challenging time.I’ve spoken to the teachers unions. They know that we need to follow the science and to make our guidance based on that science, and they’ve been very respectful of that. ”

“ We also heard about successful public-private partnerships, like in San Diego, where vaccination “super sites,” like the one in Petco Park Stadium, are vaccinating thousands of people a day; and in Colorado, where there is a government-private partnership — the Champions for Vaccine Equity task force — where the health department and 10 medical Champions of color are working with and through community-based organizations to create opportunities for listening and sharing information about COVID-19 vaccines. ”

“ We’re vaccinating at 2.5 million people a day and they are protected from COVID. If you haven’t been vaccinated, your turn is likely very soon. We can turn this around, but it will take all of us working together. Please keep wearing your well-fitting mask and taking the public health actions now that we know can reverse these concerning trends. ”

“ You know, we have now increasing evidence for many different school settings that did not control for ventilation, as to demonstrating that it is safe in classrooms, when 100 percent masked, to be at three feet.And so, you know, what I would say is, you know, we are following the science, and we have done the science, and we’ve seen the science to make — to ensure that this is safe for those schools. ”

“ There’s no change. We’ve always talked about enough doses to vaccinate adult Americans by the end of May, and there’s been no change in that. What has changed, as I mentioned earlier, is that Pfizer will deliver their 200 million doses before the end of May, and Moderna stays — it remains on track.And, you know, we are on track for the various goals that we’ve set. The next goal that is in our sight is 200 million doses by the President’s 100th day, which is April 29th, and we’re on track to meet or beat that goal. ”

“ One of the important things that will be done and must be done is to sequence the genome of the virus that’s the breakthrough virus, because it would be very important to see if they broke through with the wild-type virus, which would indicate a real diminution of immunity, or whether it broke through with one of the variants, which would be much more explainable if you don’t have enough cross-reactivity. ”

“ That goal, when we set it, was an ambitious goal. Many people talked about one that we would have real trouble reaching. So far, we are pacing ahead of that goal. The President pushes us every day to figure out everything we can do as a whole-of-government effort partnering with governors, local health officials, and others to do all we can to vaccinate as many Americans as fast, efficiently, and as, importantly, equitably as possible. So we view the 100 million shots in 100 days as a floor, and we, you know, intend to exceed that goal.
On masks, the cost will be $86 million. ”

“ In middle and high schools, CDC is also recommending that students be at least three feet apart in classrooms where everyone is wearing a mask and the community level of risk is low, moderate, or substantial. Because COVID-19 is spread more likely among older students, CDC recommends that middle and high school students should be at least six feet apart in communities where COVID 19 risk is high, unless cohorting is possible. ”

“ Not only have these communities seen disproportionate cases of COVID-19, but they have also often had higher rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease that have resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths. Additionally, survey data indicate that these communities are facing higher rates of stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges as they navigate the pandemic. ”

“ So, with 14.5 million doses allocated to states, tribes, and territories and 2.1 million through the federal Retail Pharmacy Program, we’ve nearly doubled weekly supply of doses in just five weeks.
Second, we’re mobilizing teams to get shots in arms. We’ve deployed over 800 federal personnel as vaccinators. And the federal government is now funding 1,200 National Guard members to serve as vaccinators. We’ve also deployed 1,000 federal personnel to support community vaccination sites in operational and support roles.
Third, we continue creating more places where Americans can get vaccinated. ”

“ All adults eligible no later than May 1.
Finally, I want to provide an update on how we are working with our North American partners on efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 across the continent. As part of the national strategy to end the pandemic, the United States is committed to engaging with the international community and supporting global efforts to address public health and humanitarian concerns. ”

“ A food assistance and housing nonprofit in a rural high-poverty community could receive these funding to conduct vaccine outreach and education and to ensure its clients, including those with disabilities and limited mobility, of transportation to a FEMA-supported mass vaccination site. ”

“ As a mother of three myself, I know all too well the difficulties that arise for our children — and parents and caregivers — when children are not able to attend in person for school. These challenges are especially difficult for children and families from low-resourced communities, as well as those from racial and ethnic minority communities and those with disabilities. ”