Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyCDC, director of the CDC, walks a tightrope over the pandemic of preview messages from Sunday’s shows: Democrats looking to approve the infrastructure project; health experts warn of fourth wave of coronavirus Health care overnight: CDC says fully vaccinated people can travel safely | Biden laments those who act as if there is a COVID-19 fight | Will vaccine passports be the biggest campaign theme of 2022? MORE is in a delicate position as it seeks to balance the optimism of increasing vaccinations with the reality that the United States is still in the grip of a deadly pandemic.
Walensky started the work of the CDC with a reputation as a cunning communicator, with the task of saving the reputation of an agency that was defeated under the Trump administration.
“When I started at CDC about two months ago, I made a promise to you: I would tell you the truth, even if it wasn’t the news we wanted to hear,” Walensky told reporters recently.
Walensky’s experience is in HIV research, like his predecessor Robert Redfield
Robert RedfieldCDC director walks a tightrope over message pandemic Biologist Bret Weinstein says that COVID-19 probably came from a laboratory. The CDC must terminate a mistaken policy that links asylum seekers to COVIDAR MAIS, and before being appointed to lead the CDC, she was head of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Although former colleagues say Walensky is the perfect choice for the CDC position, her skills are now being put to the test as she faces criticism for being both negative and hopeful.
“She is a very convincing and clear communicator, but she is a challenging set of messages to try to spread,” said Chris Beyrer, professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Public health messages during a global pandemic are complicated enough, but experts say that this specific moment is especially difficult.
After weeks of decline and stagnation, the rate of coronavirus infections has increased again in much of the country. Cases have increased by about 12 percent nationally compared to the previous week, with an average of about 62,000 cases per day, according to the CDC.
At the same time, nearly 100 million Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Many states are expanding the vaccine’s eligibility, in some cases, to all adults, and federal health officials say there will be enough supply for everyone to be vaccinated by the end of May.
Walensky tried to emphasize both aspects this week, when he made an emotional appeal to the audience.
“We have a lot to expect, so many promises and potential from where we are, and so many reasons to hope. But now I’m scared,” said Walensky, adding that he had a “sense of impending doom” if people continued to ignore precautions. public health.
However, almost the next hour, she spoke about a new “tremendously encouraging” study showing that vaccinated people were 90 percent protected from infection, meaning that they represent an extremely low risk of spreading the virus.
While this may seem like a mixed message, experts say it accurately reflects not only where things are now, but also how the country has responded to the virus in the past year.
“Whiplash is a true reflection of how we are all coping with the epidemic and the response to it. So, I’d rather she be honest about it, and others be honest about it, than give people something they want … make them feel better, “said Judith Auerbach, a professor at the University of California Medical School in San Francisco.
Auerbach, who has worked with Walensky on HIV research, praised the director’s candor, which she said was absent from the agency’s leadership during the Trump administration.
“She is being really honest about her own emotions. This is difficult for a Fed to do and get away with,” said Auerbach. “The science that says we all still need to be, in fact, quite scared because we are in this race between vaccines … versus the emergence of these variants, and she felt it on a visceral level, and she conveyed it in a way that I found it quite revealing. “
Glen Nowak, director of the University of Georgia’s Health and Risk Communication Center and former CDC media relations director, said Walensky’s openness helps establish credibility.
“She accepted the fact that credibility comes from being transparent, honest and genuine about her fears and concerns,” Nowak said.
The CDC declined to make Walensky available for an interview, but in a statement to The Hill a spokesman for the agency said that each communication reflected the latest science and epidemiology.
“Sometimes, the moments must balance the hope of getting out of the pandemic with the reality that we are not out of it yet,” said the spokesman.
“We recognize the challenge of transmitting that hope and promise that vaccines offer with the reality that cases and deaths are on the rise. Although we are sending the critical message that people cannot and should not give up on their preventive measures, we remain very optimistic about what the future of a fully vaccinated public will offer ”.
On Friday, Walensky was again criticized for his messages. In an updated guideline, the CDC said that it is safe to travel for people who have been fully vaccinated.
But Walensky adopted a warning tone in saying that the CDC still recommends that anyone, vaccinated or not, avoid non-essential travel because the numbers of infection are so high.
“We know that we now have an increasing number of cases,” said Walensky during a meeting at the White House. “I would advocate against general travel in general. Our guidance is silent on whether or not to recommend travel for people who are fully vaccinated. Our guidance talks about the safety of doing so.”
Nowak said that part of what makes public health messages so difficult is the fact that science doesn’t always deal with absolutes, and the general public doesn’t get along with nuances.
“People often don’t want to hear the nuances; they want advice and guidance to be stable. They get frustrated with changes or when it seems to be contradictory. They also get frustrated if they don’t match their everyday life experiences,” said Nowak.
With travel guidance, Walensky tried to explain the balance he was trying to achieve and asked the audience for patience and understanding.
“I want to recognize today that providing guidance in the midst of a changing pandemic, and its changing science, is complex,” said Walensky.
“Science shows us that total vaccination allows you to do more things safely and it is important for us to provide that guidance, even in the context of growing cases. At the same time, we must balance science with the fact that most Americans are not yet fully vaccinated, which is probably contributing to the increase in our cases, “she said.
Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, who has known Walensky for decades, said she thinks the CDC director is aware that she cannot escape criticism, especially when so many people suffer from pandemic fatigue.
If the CDC is too strict and refuses to endorse relatively normal behavior, especially after vaccination, there may be a risk that people will refuse to receive the injection, said Kates.
But if the agency provides a very optimistic picture, more people can act as if the pandemic is over and risk further spread of the virus.
“It is up to public officials to always be aware that their words are being heard and can be taken out of context, or they can be difficult to understand,” said Kates. “So I think Dr. Walensky is a great communicator, but it doesn’t mean that this is always easy to do and that the balance is always straightforward.”