Washington – Dr Scott Gottlieb, formerly at the helm of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said on Sunday that COVID-19 vaccines “should be a turning point” against a new coronavirus variant detected in the UK is and which has now been identified in the United States.
“The good news with B.1.1.7, if there is good news, is that if we vaccinate more of the population, it should be a turning point against the continued spread of the variant,” Gottlieb said of the British tribe in ‘ said an interview. with “Face the Nation.”
New coronavirus variants have been identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil and are now spreading worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The British variant, B.1.1.7., Has been reported in 30 states, while the South African variant, B.1.351, and the Brazilian variant, P.1, have been reported in South Carolina and Minnesota, respectively.
Gottlieb said there is evidence to suggest that the British strain causes serious diseases and is about 50% more transmissible, but he noted that data from COVID-19 vaccine trials from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, both of which develop coronavirus vaccine , shows immunization and previous infection appears to be protective against the variant.
“Advance immunity and the vaccines appear to be so effective against this new variant,” he said. “So if we immunize more of the population and if people in these parts of the country continue to wear masks and are vigilant, we can keep it at a distance. It’s not too late yet, but it’s a real risk for those regions of the country now. ‘
Gottlieb predicted that there would be booster shots for the fall to protect against the variants, and said the FDA is working on a regulatory framework to allow the vaccine boosters.
“I think the framework is going to be mapped out and the companies have said they are already working on the new boosters. We can get it in time for the fall of all these vaccines. There is no reason we can not do that,” he said. said.
Gottlieb said it is unlikely there will be a national epidemic with B.1.1.7 in the spring and summer, although the fall poses a risk. Instead, he predicted there would be regional epidemics, with California and South Florida the current hotspots. According to the CDC, there are 113 reported cases of the British variant in California and 125 reported cases in Florida.
“The cities need to be very mindful of the distribution of these variants,” he said.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there were more than 26 million cases of coronavirus in the US and nearly 440,000 deaths. But the Biden government warns that the death toll will exceed 500,000 and that the prediction of another 90,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 in the next four weeks.
Yet it appears that hospitalizations and the spread of COVID-19 are declining.
Gottlieb said the country ‘has the potential to make a comeback’, but acknowledged that the new variant creates risks.
“Things are clearly improving in the country,” he said. “We can not take the foot off the brake too quickly in terms of the things people do, such as wearing masks and being more vigilant. This is probably the cause of infection rates across the country.”