Dr. William Schaffner, a longtime adviser to the CDC on vaccines, said Walensky, a practicing infectious disease specialist, is well positioned to encourage health care professionals to take the shot. WALENSKY: I was just going to say, with regard to the immunosuppressed population, this is a little bit of a different scenario where we might be concerned that in fact they didnt get full protection from their initial two doses, so we would be looking at a third prime dose in that situation. You can just look at her and just by her presence know that she is both competent and dedicated, said Schaffner, a liaison representative on the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. I was hoping you could talk about the objective metrics that youre looking to present to the President for when some of these travel restrictions can be eased. Rochelle Paula Walensky is an American physician-scientist who is the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. You don't need to wait for CDC's recommendation, certainly, to wear a mask. Some experts suggest that an administration that values science and increases funding could restore the CDC to preeminence. Media Statement. (RAGS) (DJH) March 2, 2023 White House officials also took steps to try to control the CDCs scientific reports and the guidance on its website. MR. ZIENTS: Well, thanks, Dr. Murthy. But the confusing communications rattled a few, turning optimism into uncertainty and disappointment, one senior C.D.C. So, literally, in real time, we talk about this literally on a daily basis, and evidence is being accumulated on a daily and weekly basis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky has come under criticism for the confusing messaging. She had a warm, empathetic leadership style, said Dr. Kenneth Freedberg, an H.I.V. Dr. Kenneth Freedberg was standing at his wife's bedside in a Boston hospital's intensive care unit when an . My heart and respect and gratitude to all of our health care workers who are working hard through this season, not just for respiratory viruses in children but through - across the board. But the actual studies to do whether or not the transmission occurs is a large study thats ongoing right now. Mistrust of the coronavirus vaccine was a major topic of discussion at an ACIP meeting last week. WALENSKY: Yeah. COVID-19 Vaccines Don't Prevent Transmission of Virus. Rochelle Walensky Net Worth Rochelle Walensky's net worth is estimated to be $5 million. Those who peddle and promote these dangerous lies are harming the very people who are most at risk and furthering a pandemic that has already taken more than 600,000 American lives.We are calling on everyone social media platforms, news organizations, individual Americans to call this activity out and to help get the facts out to your friends, families, and communities so that were protecting our fellow Americans, not purposely putting them in harms way.As I said last week, vaccinating more and more Americans each day is an individual-by-individual, community-by-community effort. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Center for Disease Prevention and Control Director Rochelle Walensky about the "tripledemic.". Maybe, you know, latter part of this year, early next year just curious.I also know that there can be higher risk of side effects, potentially, with a third booster shot. Some surveys and focus groups have shown that many health care workers are hesitant to get the vaccines. Walensky's family has a tradition of service, including a grandfather who served in World War II and rose to be a brigadier general. In January, shown in the middle of the slide, we were averaging nearly 200,000 cases per day. And were seeing it in the data. Even apart from the fact that she is only the third woman to lead the agency, Im a different kind of C.D.C. Dr. Murthy.SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: Well, thanks so much, Jeff. February 27, 2023 Michael S. Regan Administrator Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20460 Dr. Rochelle Walensky It was the mid-'90s, and the AIDS epidemic was still raging. WALENSKY: And maybe Ill just add: When we look at the age demographics of people being hospitalized now, we are seeing them go up in all age demographics, exactly as Dr. Fauci noted, differently for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. advice must be better attuned to the real world, critics say. In one of the videos, Walensky explains the basics of the two vaccines, including that they use a new type of technology, they need to be given in two doses, and they have to be kept at cold temperatures. The C.D.C.s New Leader Follows the Science. Washington, DC 20500, MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thanks for joining us. WALENSKY: You know, so we have always said when we released our COVID-19 community levels back in February that things were on the downward trend, and that was really good news but that we wanted you to put your masks away, not to throw your masks out. Next question. And thats a situation that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is going to look at next week. Surgeon General Advisories are reserved for urgent public health threats. Retrospectively, when you look at the negative reaction of so many people, so many organizations, you have to come to the conclusion that it could have been done better, he said. is a large and lumbering agency, bogged down by bureaucracy and hampered by what some experts describe as an overly cautious approach. I came directly from a hospital that had a morgue sitting outside, she said in an interview. Lets go to Zeke Miller with AP. Those counties most frequently correspond to counties with low vaccination rates. Now, in the upper righthand corner, which is where we are today, you can see the recent growth in cases where the red and orange are again increasing. "We now have 38,000 new infections, on average, per day. Health care workers in the US started receiving Pfizers coronavirus vaccine this week, and its expected they could get Modernas vaccine starting next week. Dr. Anthony Fauci and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky were among the witnesses testifying on ending the pandemic at a hearing held by the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee. And so we are hopeful that those trends will continue. MR. ZIENTS: Dr. Fauci?DR. Around the country, we're seeing now decreases in rates of RSV, fortunately, in the South, South Central, even in the Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic region. That includes 11 million delayed pediatric vaccinations; widespread mental health problems; an uptick in opioid overdoses; and lapses in control of high blood pressure, cancer and H.I.V. Here's what they learned (2020), NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 02: Two men have a conversation while socially distancing and wearing masks in Central Park during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on December 02, 2020 in New York City. At Massachusetts General Hospital, where Walensky was the chief of infectious diseases, some of her many admirers now have T-shirts that read "Answer the Code" with her initials, RPW, beneath. Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo (Pool/Reuters) The director of . She is the daughter of Carol Bersoff-Bernstein and Edward H. Bersoff. director, is working to restore trust in what once was the worlds premier public health agency. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a coronavirus briefing in December 2020. Simply put, health misinformation has cost us lives. The science, as always, will guide us. President Joe Biden and members of his COVID task force are using personal stories to persuade young people get vaccinated following up on the Food and Drug Administration authorizing the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 earlier this month. Theres a lot that we are doing and well continue to do more, but this is a moment where we need technology companies to step up and do more to stop the spread of misinformation. Unvaccinated Americans account for virtually all recent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. "I told you I'd tell you the truth," she said. First, we include recommendations for individuals and families. Rochelle Walensky now makes the laws. She has been selected to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Biden . Biden has pledged to put scientists out front on COVID-19 matters, Besser noted. Back in April, when a huge surge of COVID-19 cases hit, she didn't deny the pain. But I have another question before I get to vaccination. His hands are cold to the touch. MORE: 5 things to know about COVID protections as Americans head back to work Rochelle is married to Loren Walensky, a pediatric oncologist, cancer chemical biologist and director of the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program. We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better. The agencys handling of the COVID-19 outbreak began in a similar way. Rochelle Walensky Religion WALENSKY: We have seen certainly a surge in cases, a rise in cases. She has been Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since January 20, 2021. And so why its so important for yourself, your family, and your community to get vaccinated. I want to reiterate that people who got the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are most effective, especially when against the Delta variant when given as two shots in a series. She acknowledged the weaknesses in her resume. CHANG: Well, turning to RSV, what do you see happening with those infections? (404) 639-3286. Do you agree with that guidance? 2. But if we just let the virus run free without mitigation strategies, such as masking, our hospitals will overflow and that would mean we would no longer be able to take care of the populations health across the board. A highway sign in Vancouver, Wash., the day after the state lifted its mask mandate for fully vaccinated adults. Shell take the helm of CDC at perhaps its most critical moment. Under him, the agency quietly made changes to its guidance, sometimes dictated by the Trump administration, with no public announcement. Therell be a lesson learned here.. We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope. "Super loud. Asked on CNN whether the Biden plan to get 100 million Americans vaccinated in 100 days could restore a sense of normalcy, she responded with characteristic bluntness a quality that could cause trouble in these polarized times. The test kit problem was tied to laboratory contamination at the agencys Atlanta headquarters a sign of sloppiness. On her first day as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January, Dr. Rochelle Walensky ordered a review of all Covid-related guidance on the agencys website. Well continue to put public health first. Slavitt said he knows it may be easy for young people to think COVID-19 doesn't affect them because they may feel healthy and be asymptotic but emphasized that experts still don't know enough about the long-term effects of the disease. She favors the John Snow Memorandum, which advocates an alternative, risk-based approach to the COVID-19 pandemic that involves Focused Protection of those most at risk and seeks to avoid or minimize the societal harm of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. We recommend wash your hands. But Barks and others who know Walensky well say she's clear-eyed and ready to dig in to meet the challenge; she'll try a new approach if first attempts fall short. Her targets have included the uneven transmission-prevention measures that were in place last summer and a prominent Trump advisers endorsement of a herd immunity approach that would let the virus run free. They have been credited with being the brain behind her success as they gave her everything she needed to develop into the very smart and successful woman she now is. But, importantly, over 97 percent of people who are entering the hospital right now are unvaccinated. Neither he nor his parents -- my wife and I -- are sure how long this will last," Slavitt continued, speaking of the younger of his two sons. The recommendation startled not just the White House but also state and local leaders, prompting criticism that she had failed to prepare Americans for the agencys latest about-face during the pandemic. It wasnt until lunchtime, when everyone took out a yogurt, a root beer and a little bag of pretzels, her standard lunch, that she noticed. FAUCI: Yes, well, as Dr. Rochelle Walensky has said multiple times, the CDC is looking at a number of different cohorts that will get the information that will be needed as she said if and . And just this week, I traveled to New Mexico to meet with youth leaders, clinicians, and public health leaders from across the state. Is That Enough? And so as we see reentry into respiratory viruses and as areas around the country are turning from green to yellow to orange, we have said - orange really does indicate that there is a lot of infection in the community, that there's a lot of severe disease coming into the hospital and that many of the beds in the hospitals are really now occupied by people with COVID-19. itself. Biden unveils health team that will lead pandemic response. It was that sometimes it felt like sabotage. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. FAUCI: Thank you very much, Dr. Walensky. Contact: Media Relations. Now 51 years old, Walensky has long been a doctor on a mission first, to fight AIDS around the world, and now, to shore up the CDC and get the United States through the pandemic. In the same hearing, while acknowledging some parents may not want to be first in line, Walensky she would encourage all parents to get their children vaccinated and encourage children to ask their parents for the vaccine. The recent exits of two high-ranking agency officials within the C.D.C. But that enthusiasm has been tempered by occasional missteps in communications, an aspect of the job that is more important and challenging than it has ever been. Thank you, Zeke. Sister of Private, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochelle_Walensky. Stay away from people who are sick. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, is the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; has conducted influential research on HIV/AIDS, making her one of the nation's leading experts on virus testing, prevention and treatment, and has served on the frontline of the And are we seeing any breakthrough infections among more vulnerable people who have been vaccinated who might have been around younger people? Were asking them to operate with greater transparency, to modify their algorithms to avoid amplifying misinformation, and to swiftly and consistently take action against misinformation super-spreaders on their platforms.Shortly after releasing the advisory, we saw organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, the Digital Public Library of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics step up and respond to this call to action by committing their time, resources, and networks to confronting health misinformation. Walensky brought a plaque from her desk in Boston to CDC headquarters in Atlanta. Welcome back to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. We are saying we don't really want people to gather if they're feeling unwell. How does it change the strategy going forward?MR. What are you and your family doing? In selecting @RWalensky, Biden has chosen one of the most respected infectious disease docs in the world. "You can't do everything," Freedberg says, "and even if you could, you can't do everything at once. Even before the surveys were rolled out in December 2020 after the first vaccines were authorized, the CDC knew that myocarditisa form of heart . This top tier agency, world-renowned, hasn't really been appreciated over the last four years and really markedly over the last year or so. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) didn't include serious adverse events like heart inflammation on post-vaccination surveys even though the agency knew the issues could be linked to COVID-19 vaccines, documents show. For instance, the agency removed guidance that advised limiting church choir activities even though studies had demonstrated the danger of transmission of extended singing indoors. "He's young and fit and in the prime of his life. Leading and rebuilding the CDC in the midst of a pandemic will be difficult. I cant imagine the CDC and the country being luckier mostly just because you can communicate, which is such an important task for the head of the CDC, he said. Redfield kept a low profile during his first two years in office after being appointed by the Trump administration in 2018. MR. ZIENTS: Next question. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said more than 4.1 million adolescents 12 to 17 have been vaccinated so far, including over half a million 12-15-year-olds who have lined up to get a shot since the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for adolescents earlier this month. DR. FAUCI: Yes, well, as Dr. Rochelle Walensky has said multiple times, the CDC is looking at a number of different cohorts that will get the information that will be needed as she said if and when and to whom we will be giving boosters. Thank you. "I said 'Oh, my God!' Some felt betrayed by agency leaders who did not speak out publicly against the political interference. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Walenskys predecessor, in March 2020. director, is working to restore trust in what once was the worlds premier public health agency.CreditKayana Szymczak for The New York Times. But the agency stumbled in February when a test for the virus sent to states proved to be flawed. The blue and yellow counties have low or moderate transmission. He also recommended a review of the CDC to determine if the agencys problems can be traced to mismanagement by Trumps political appointees or whether there are deeper flaws in the organization. Dr. Walensky was not on the Bidens administrations initial list of candidates for C.D.C. "Last fall, one of my sons contracted COVID-19. Walensky is an expert on AIDS and HIV. COVID response adviser Andy Slavitt said his son has symptoms 6 months later. At her first all-hands meeting, Dr. Walensky startled the staff when she spoke emphatically about measures to increase diversity and inclusion in the agencys work and in its ranks. Meet the Team Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Andy Slavitt speaks during a COVID-19 Response briefing, May 18, 2021. In 2019, she testified before Congress about the prohibitive cost of preventive therapy and treatments for H.I.V. So the news had special meaning for her and the many jubilant colleagues tweeting their joy. Rochelle Walensky Family | Ethnicity She was born in Peabody, Massachusetts, to her parents. Im going to pause here, Im going to lose the script and Im going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom, she said, her eyes glistening with tears. Unfortunately, he is one of the many Americans battling long-term symptoms," Slavitt said. In 2013 she became a physician at the infectious disease unit and in 2017 she became the chief of division of infectious disease. They married in 1995 and have three sons. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images), Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who has been selected to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, to announce President-elect Joe Biden's his health care team. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who has been selected to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, Dec. 8 . "It wasn't even just that we didn't know what the government was doing. And as promised, the agency has set about issuing more practical masking guidance regarding settings like summer camps (mostly no) and public transportation (yes). Discovery Company. How to be Extra Cautious with Your Skin during Seasonal Transitions? Walensky's private Feb. 10, 2021, roundtable featured five participants, including Roz Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand With Trans, an organization for parents of transgender. Accuracy and availability may vary. Next question.DR. The President, yesterday, said that he was hoping for a timeline to set a timeline for lifting some travel restrictions in the next couple of days. We also - you know, we'll consider doing testing before we all gather. But this time, the Biden transition team named Walensky in advance, so she could take the agencys reins even before her boss is in place. Rochelle Walensky (Rochelle Paula Walensky, MD, MPH) serves as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 3:22 PM EST, Wed December 16, 2020, Researchers tested 14 types of masks. Back to you, Jeff. Every shot is progress. Last summer, after protests over the death of George Floyd, more than 1,200 C.D.C. Walensky announced today that she has decided to nationalize America's rental properties, millions and millions of them from Maine to California. Now, health misinformation has been a problem long before COVID. "I don't think we're going to feel it then. President Biden had promised that the C.D.C. The truth is that, across our nation, the voices of doctors, nurses, scientists, and public health experts are too often being drowned out by the false sirens of misinformation. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Do we believe that they will maintain some protection against infection? Based on that, you could make a reasonable assumption that the rate of transmissibility from the asymptomatic vaccinated person to an uninfected person would be less likely than if the person was unvaccinated. expert at the hospital who was first her mentor, then a collaborator. The job, he noted, has a steep learning curve. All Rights Reserved. Scenes from Mass General were still fresh in her mind when she arrived at the C.D.C. She later joined the infectious disease unit as an assistant in medicine and later as an assistant physician before she was promoted to the position of an associate physician. The camp guidance is intended to get our kids to camp and allow them to stay there," she continued. She is known for her role in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walensky, an HIV researcher, has not worked at the CDC or at a state or local health department. Walensky is an expert on AIDS and HIV. Were asking people to raise their bar for sharing health information by checking sources before they share information to ensure its backed by credible, scientific sources. The podcasts host, Dr. Howard Bauchner, who is also editor of the journal, praised her effusively. I have to fix that.". Biddinger said he thinks health care workers attitudes might have changed since then. Four months later, Dr. Walensky announced that vaccinated people could stop wearing masks in most settings. The most recent instance, when Dr. Walensky announced that vaccinated people could go mask-free indoors, was supported by the latest research, scientists said. The bottom line continues to be very, very simple: While fully vaccinated individuals have a high degree of protection against serious illness from COVID-19, including the Delta variant, unvaccinated Americans are not protected against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky about new guidelines that have the isolation period for asymptomatic people who have COVID.. You feel healthy, you know people who have had COVID and are doing all right. Massachusetts General Hospital in April 2020. They will know that she knows what its like to be at the bedside of a very sick patient, he said. The longer we wait, the more lives we lose. She saw many people . The agency also dropped guidance advising that anyone who came into close contact with an infected person should get tested then re-adopted it after criticism from health experts. During a news briefing on March 29, as infections began to rise again, she looked into the camera and, in a voice quavering with emotion, pleaded with Americans not to stop taking precautions against the coronavirus. ROCHELLE WALENSKY: Thanks so much for having me, Ailsa. Clearly, the Delta variant is dominant in the world. Even when it's bad news. Transition 2021. I think we should be making sure people understand because the question often gets asked, particularly among the unvaccinated If youre talking about boosting people, does that mean that the vaccines dont work? Thats not the case at all. And then Ill make a comment on international travel. WALENSKY: We know that, you know, as variants have progressed, they have evaded immunity more and more. We'll open the windows for people, increase ventilation if we can. We are ready for whatever the science tells us.We have secured enough vaccine supply, and, if needed, we will ensure Americans who might need a booster shot are able to get it quickly and easily. After Rochelle was nominated to the position of director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention he took to Twitter to congratulate her. DR. FAUCI: Well, what we do know in the cases that were looked at: If you are vaccinated and you get infected, and you compare that person if youre an asymptomatic infected breakthrough vaccinated case and compare that to someone who is infected but not vaccinated and asymptomatic, the level of virus in the nasal pharynx of the vaccinated person is considerably less than the virus in the nasal pharynx of a person who is infected, unvaccinated, and asymptomatic. "But we sort of face every day with the hope and the vision that what we will be faced with, we can tackle.". Rochelle is a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), Biden picks Mass. Both vaccines are most effective two weeks after the second dose, with each exceeding 90 percent effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization, and death in real-world studies. And we have certainly always said that masking is a personal choice. Next slide. ZIENTS: Oh, go ahead, Dr. Walensky. Her father, Edward Bersoff, was a mathematician and engineer at NASA; her mother, Carol Bersoff-Bernstein, was an executive at a. C.D.C. Stephenson is an infectious disease specialist and vaccine scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Inside the agency, she wants to raise morale, in large part by restoring the primacy of science and setting politics to the side. hide caption, Dr. Rochelle Walensky likens the call she got from the Biden team, asking her to lead the CDC amid a pandemic, to a hospital alarm that goes off when a patient's heart has stopped. We only have time for a few questions today. That was a big oversight.. ZIENTS: And, Kaitlan, on the second question, well defer to the FDA. They were both Jewish, and shared a deep interest in medicine and music she played the flute and he was a classical pianist. She will replace Dr. Robert Redfield, who assumed the role in March 2018. However, if you look at the trend on the far righthand part of that slide, theres that uptick, which somehow was reflecting what Dr. Walensky just told you about the slight uptick that were seeing in hospitalizations in our own country. With that, I will now turn it over to Dr. Fauci.DR. Look, theres a lot government can do. That analytic skill has come in handy over the past year, as she has helped lead the pandemic response for her Boston hospital and for the state of Massachusetts. A Warner Bros. Susan Walsh/AP They are a last resort. CHANG: Well, finally, may I just ask you, what precautions is your own family going to be taking this holiday season? She later became an assistant professor before being promoted to associate professor in 2007. I just was wondering if you guys could share a little bit more detail on the current state of thinking around boosters. "I would lie down in traffic for her," says Elizabeth Barks, the infectious disease division's administrative director at Mass General.
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