Anthony Stephen Fauci, Andrew M. Slavitt, and Rochelle Paula Walensky

“ We must do better and we will do better, and here’s how: Last month, CDC provided $3 billion to support efforts to increase vaccine uptake by expanding COVID-19 programs and ensuring greater equity and access to vaccines. We made more than $300 million in funding available to strengthen the work of community health workers nationwide, bolstering their efforts to provide and control COVID- — to prevent and control COVID-19 among populations at high risk, and serving as trusted messengers to overcome concerns and vaccine hesitancy. ”

“ If you then go into the real world — if we could have the next slide here — of real-world effectiveness, again, if you look at fully vaccinated people versus unvaccinated people, obviously, given the relatively small numbers — thousands, hundreds, compared to the tens and tens and tens of millions of people who’ve been vaccinated — you will always see breakthrough. ”

“ We’re administering shots at a record pace, and we’re adding millions more each week, and we’re continuing to work with states to ensure that each and every dose gets administered. And to provide even more capacity to administer all of the vaccine supply we have, we are accelerating our efforts to put more vaccinators in the field and add more vaccination sites. ”

“ So let’s focus in really quickly on the clinical trials, namely the data we got from the Phase III clinical trials of vaccines that ultimately developed an EUA. If you look at the vaccine group — at the number of breakthroughs over the number of vaccinations — and you see — or the number of breakthroughs, number of infections in the number of people — there are always breakthroughs regardless of what the efficacy of the vaccine is. ”

“ The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportional impact on communities of color is just the most recent and glaring example of health inequities that threaten the health of our nation. At CDC, we have a critical role to play in addressing health equity. We have made new and expanded investments in racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country to provide the foundation and resources to help address disparities to COVID-19 and, importantly, to create the infrastructure to address the other health conditions. ”

“ We must acknowledge the disparities that exist and commit to an equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to those communities that have been hardest hit by the virus.
Looking at the data available, the total number of vaccines administered, Black and African American individuals make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population and are just 8.4 percent of those receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. And 18 percent of the country identifies as Hispanic or Latino, yet they make up only 10.7 percent of those receiving vaccinations. ”

“ So our ability to vaccinate people quickly in all — each of those states, rather than taking vaccines and shifting it to playing Whack-a-Mole, isn’t the strategy that public health leaders and scientists have laid out.There are other things that we can do. ”

“ All this is happening because of the accelerated pace of the country’s vaccination program. In the last seven days alone, the U.S. has reported administering nearly 22 million shots. That’s more than 8 percent of the adult population in a single week.
While we’re pleased with this pace, we are making even more doses available for administration. Over the last three weeks, we’ve sent out nearly 90 million total doses. Now, even with uneven supply from Johnson & Johnson, we are distributing vaccine supply to vaccinate well more than 3 million people per day. ”

“ If you get a little bit more granular on flu, the benefits of flu vaccination, in a 2019-2020 season, despite a vaccine that was only 39 percent effective and only 52 percent of people actually got vaccinated. ”

“ We are working with states, Tribes, and territories to accelerate the number of shots in arms we’re administering, and we need Americans to do their part. Wear a mask, socially distance, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. ”

“ On March 29, the President set a goal of adding at least a dozen new mass vaccination sites by April 19. Today, I can report that we are on track to meet the President’s goal this week, ahead of schedule. And by next week, we will have opened a total of 36 mass vaccination sites, with a combined capability of administering 124,000 shots per day.
We’re also increasing the number of pharmacies participating in the retail pharmacy program and working with community health centers to increase the number administering shots. ”

“ We will continue to support and expand these efforts, ensuring that, as we do, this work will build bridges with communities that allow for ongoing engagement to improve longstanding health disparities, such as blood pressure management, mental health, childhood vaccination, and diabetes control. ”

“ Obviously, we’re going to await the FDA and their work and then the CDC’s follow-up recommendations.We have, over the last few months, created many, many, many places for adults to get vaccinated, including, as we talked about earlier, what will end up being over 40,000 pharmacies. And as a result, 95 percent of Americans will be living within — I should say 90 percent of Americans will be living within five miles of a place to get vaccinated. ”

“ We’ve also sent more FEMA personnel to administer shots in arms across the state of Michigan.
On testing, we’re increasing the number of diagnostic tests sent to the state; assisting the state with setting up more testing sites; and helping pilot innovative approaches, as part of the state’s testing program, to monitor school sports.
On therapeutics, we’re prepared to send additional therapeutic capacity to the state as well.
I want to close by reminding every American that we all need to do our part. And if we do, better days are ahead. ”

“ This means that there has never been a better time than now for seniors and those eligible to get their shots. Make an appointment today. And if you have someone in your life, particularly a senior, who has not gotten a shot yet, reach out and see what help they need. ”

“ Walensky — for multi-generational homes where everyone has been vaccinated, should people be worried about having to go to work and coming back and infecting their elderly family members that might be living in the home with them? ”

“ And all of that should be — should be active in a workplace.So, assuming you take those prevention measures at home — I mean, in an office place and outside the home, I think you’re very safe in the home. ”