Should Vaccinated Individuals Wear Masks?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA: And what really stood out to me was the vaccinated individuals now infected with Delta may be able to transmit the virus as easily as those who are unvaccinated. Is this a game-changer, in your opinion?

DR. REED TUCKSON, BLACK COALITION AGAINST COVID: It is certainly significant. And it is certainly something that now requires all of us to redouble our commitment to protecting the health and safety and the lives of those whom we encounter as we move throughout society. So, yes, it is a game-changer, in the sense that even now that I am fully vaccinated, and have been so for quite a while, I am wearing my mask when I’m going indoors or around other people. I think it is so important that I — now that I understand and learn that it is possible for me to transmit unwittingly and unknowingly this virus to someone else, even though I am protected from serious injury, hospitalization and death, I have a responsibility to others around me. And I intend to act on that moral imperative. I will be wearing my mask when I am indoors with other people who do not share my own household.

GOLODRYGA: As a public health official and physician yourself, I’m curious to get your take on how the CDC has been handling this. Obviously, we say we follow the science. Science changes. As we learn new things, as we learn about more variants, we follow up on that. But there is confusion within the country among those who were vaccinated and questioning why they should now wear a mask, those who are not vaccinated and don’t want to wear a mask now saying, see, neither work. What is your response to them and how would you rate how the CDC has been handling this these moving pieces?

TUCKSON: I have nothing but empathy and sympathy for the dedicated workers at the CDC and other health professionals who are trying to fight this. You have stated the issue very clearly. The science does change. We learn. We grow. That is what intelligent people do. We study things. We get data. We reevaluate. Only a fool would stay locked into a position when you have new information, important information that will change your recommendation and advice. And so, given that there are so many people who are working overtime to sow the seeds of confusion and mistrust, who are looking to blame and point fingers, the people at the CDC are almost in a no-win situation. But let’s just be very clear and very specific. We have learned. We have new information. We now are communicating that information to the American public. And rational people will use information and modify their behavior as the science tells us. There’s nothing wrong with that. And they should not be shamed because we are in fact learning and growing and have new knowledge.