Imagine, if at last night's #JointSession, President Biden allowed only vaccinated individuals. They could take off their masks, hug & sit together--just like 2019.

That would be the strongest message that vaccines = return to pre-pandemic normal. /1 washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Is this scientifically sound?

According to the CDC's own data, there were only 7,157 breakthrough infections among 87 million fully vaccinated people — a rate of 0.008%.

A room of 1,600 is unlikely to have anyone infected. Testing would reduce the likelihood to zero. /2
You wouldn’t know that the vaccines are so effective based on CDC guidelines.

A very damaging narrative is taking hold: If the vaccines are so effective, then why so many precautions for the fully vaccinated? What’s the point of getting inoculated if not much changes? /3
Trump's flouting of public health restrictions was atrocious. But Biden's message isn't right, either.

Over-correction has a price; at best, it makes public health measures seem performative rather than science-based. At worst, it calls vaccine efficacy into question. /4
Also, the CDC urgently needs to change their recs to clearly distinguish between events in which anyone can attend & events that allow only those fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination would allow concerts, theaters and virtually all businesses back at full capacity. /5
Our country's leaders could have sent an unequivocal message that vaccines are safe, effective & the key to ending the pandemic.

Instead, the American people got a different message, one that could impede the nation’s vaccine progress at a time when we can least afford it. /END

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More from @DrLeanaWen

30 Apr
The US is in an "in-between" place. Vaccination substantially reduces #covid19 risk but doesn't eliminate it. There isn't one right answer & people will make different choices from one another.

Here are 3 ways to think about which activities to resume🧵: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
For vaccinated people, consider three factors when deciding which activities to bring back to your lives:
1) Medical risk of your household
2) Personal risk tolerance (more on this soon)
3) Risk of specific activities
Risk tolerance is a key point. People will have wildly different interpretations of the same statistics. Some want to keep hunkering down. Others will decide that once vaccinated, they can take off their masks and return to pre-pandemic normal. Most are somewhere in between.
Read 4 tweets
24 Apr
I'm a physician & woman who's in the under 50 age group. I'd chosen to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If I knew then what I know now about the risk of a rare but serious blood clotting disorder, I would have chosen another vaccine. 🧵@postopinions
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
The blood clotting disorder associated with J&J, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), is not a run-of-the-mill blood clot. Of the 15 women who had TTS, 3 died. 7 remain hospitalized, 4 in intensive care. Most were previously healthy women, median age of 37. /2
15 cases out of 8 million doses seems like a very low risk. The risk for women in the 18-49 group is higher--1 in 80,000.

This is still low, and benefits of preventing severe illness from #covid19 still far outweigh risks if the J&J is the only vaccine available. /3
Read 6 tweets
13 Apr
As a doctor and volunteer in the J&J clinical trial who received the vaccine <2 weeks ago, here's my take on the recommendation for the FDA & CDC pause for the Johnson & Johnson #covid19 #vaccine: 🧵

nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/…
(1) This is exactly the right move. All possibly concerning safety signals should be immediately & transparently investigated.

This shows that regulatory entities are doing their job. Even something very rare (6 cases out of 7 million) will be immediately looked into.
(2) The events flagged (blood clots with low platelets) are extremely rare. Causation hasn't been established. The reason this really needs to be alerted now is for doctors who may see patients with this rare condition, to know what to look for and how to treat them.
Read 5 tweets
12 Apr
My latest @PostOpinions column is about the need for urgent attention to an epidemic that is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year: obesity.

As @Dmozaffarian told me, "the slow pandemic of #obesity has intertwined with the fast pandemic of #covid19".🧵washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers & worse outcomes from #covid19. With stress & food insecurity, 42% self-reported gaining weight since the pandemic, with an average addition of 29 pounds. 10% gained 50+ pounds. /2 apa.org/news/press/rel…
The experts I spoke to proposed numerous solutions, including seeing food as medicine so doctors can prescribe healthy produce for patients; changing policies around ultra-processed foods & sugary sodas; and recognizing that systemic racism is built into our food system. /3
Read 6 tweets
7 Apr
There's lots of discussion on the pros/cons of "vaccine passports".

We need to stop using this term. It's inaccurate, inflammatory & divisive.

Instead, let's describe how proof of #covid19 #vaccination can return us to normalcy @postopinions (thread):

washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-ne…
Asking for vaccination status is a kind of health screen to identify those at low risk for infecting others, not unlike symptom questionnaires or #covid19 tests.

If these aren’t seen as constraints on individual liberties, showing vaccine status shouldn't be, either. /2
In addition, individuals are increasingly asking one another whether they’ve gotten their shots. Vaccination enables activities that otherwise couldn’t occur safely.

I think it’s time for us to extend the newfound normalcy from social settings to business operations. /3
Read 9 tweets
11 Mar
It's been one year since the World Health Organization officially declared #covid19 to be a #pandemic.

What have we learned? Where do we go from here?

A thread. /1
5 key lessons:
1) Importance of a national, coordinated response. Piecemeal approaches to PPE, testing & vaccination do not work.

2) Without data, we are flying blind. A year ago, every detected case was a canary in a coal mine. Same issue with lack of genomic surveillance. /2
3) Hospitals are the last line of defense, not the first. The community, through preventive measures, are the frontlines.

4) Public health depends on public trust. Mixed messaging erodes trust & leads to politicizing of basic measures like masks./3
Read 9 tweets

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