Admiral Brett Giroir, czar of the White House coronavirus tests, expressed confidence that the newly developed coronavirus vaccines will work against all strains, including a discovery in the UK that has proven to be highly contagious.
Giroir told Fox News Sunday that while it is possible that the strain has already reached the United States, it does not appear to be resistant to vaccines that are now being distributed.
CANADA, JAPAN BETWEEN NATIONS WITH REPORTS OF CORONAVIRUS TENSION INFECTIONS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM OF RAPID PRESSURE
“We have no evidence to suggest, nor do we believe, that … the vaccine would be effective. In other words, we believe that the vaccine will be effective against this variant,” he said.
He emphasized that travel restrictions in place for the United Kingdom and other European countries have been in place since March and should reduce the spread of the variant.
When it comes to the distribution of the vaccine, Giroir said that it will be up to the states to determine who should get the vaccines after health professionals and nursing home residents are inoculated. The White House is recommending that people over 75 and other frontline workers be next in line.
Admiral Brett Giroir, director of the U.S. coronavirus diagnostic test, testified at a House Subcommittee hearing on the Coronavirus Crisis on July 31, 2020 in Washington, DC (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool / Getty Images)
Giroir said that studies are still being done on the safety of the vaccine for children, but he encouraged parents to send their children back to school, even if they are not immunized.
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLANS: DISTRIBUTION STATE TO STATE
“I think it is very important for listeners to understand that taking children back to school is now safe,” he said. “There is data on data on data that children could safely return to school in person.”
Giroir cited a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that says schools are not one of the places where children can be infected.
“That is why it is safe and very important to take children back to school, even before they are vaccinated,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Teachers are likely to be eligible to receive the vaccine before the general public, said Giroir, due to the “critical” nature of his work, although he believes that “young, healthy teachers should not be more at risk than young, healthy individuals. In any other profession. “
Giroir said the United States will achieve collective immunity and end the pandemic when 70% to 80% of the population has been vaccinated or already infected. Although he did not predict when this would happen, he said the government hopes “that any American who wants a vaccine can be vaccinated by June”.