The former Food and Drug Administration commissioner shared concern that the implementation of COVID-19 vaccinations would be delayed by large numbers refusing the shot, predicting that only a third of the U.S. population is volunteering for innocence.
Dr Scott Gottlieb expressed his concerns in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning, saying that many younger people who are unlikely to experience serious illnesses may not be vaccinated.
To date, 10.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, out of the 31 million doses distributed to states, according to the latest available CDC data.
Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated that up to 80 percent of the U.S. population, or about 260 million people, must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the point at which the virus cannot spread widely.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Tuesday expressed concern that the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations would be delayed by the large number of Americans who refuse the shot.
“At some point, demand will become a problem,” Gottlieb said in the interview, pointing out that the number of people who got a flu vaccine reached a record high last year, but that it was still only 120 million wash.
‘These were people who were worried about COVID going out and getting flu vaccines. “It could be the universe of people who really have a huge demand for a COVID vaccine,” he said.
“There will be a very intense demand, even in younger groups, but I think once we get 100 million, maybe 120 million vaccines, the demand will soften,” he added.
“We have now talked about access which is the real challenge, and now we are talking about supply because we are starting to get a steady state and it is difficult to increase supply in the short term,” Gottlieb said. . “At some point, the question will be a problem.”
“We can not lose sight of it and just take for granted that everyone wants this vaccine,” he said.
Joseph Leblanc receives the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pew Research’s latest poll on the question indicates that 60 percent of Americans say they would definitely or probably get a coronavirus vaccine
Meanwhile, nearly a third of New York State nursing home workers have refused to be vaccinated, the governor’s office told the New York Times.
In some areas, staff members who refused the vaccine had fewer than those who were vaccinated. On Long Island, 46 percent decreased while 34 percent were vaccinated.
The governor of Ohio said earlier that a staggering 60 percent of nursing home workers in the state do not want to be vaccinated.
Pew Research’s latest poll on the question indicates that 60 percent of Americans say they would definitely or probably get a coronavirus vaccine if it were available to them today.
That was a 51 percent increase, saying the same thing in September. However, about four out of ten still say they will definitely not get a vaccine.
About half of this reluctant group – or 18 percent of American adults – say it is possible that they will change their minds as soon as people start getting vaccinated and more information is available.
Elected President Joe Biden has vowed to vaccinate 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.
His plan includes for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Guard to build coronavirus vaccine clinics across the United States.
Biden’s incoming CDC director said the new government plans to raise military and medical students to increase COVID-19 vaccine development.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky told George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America, on Tuesday morning that the CDC will deploy military medical personnel, retirees and nursing and medical students to make sure there are enough people ‘on the ground’ to shoot in the arms of Americans to get.
Walensky said they would also make the vaccine ‘more accessible’ by launching mobile trucks and giving more doses to pharmacies, as she promises the incoming government will focus on ‘science’.
She did not say in the brief interview whether the government has any of the suitability requirements for people to have the vaccine changed, or that it will leave more of the decision-making to states.