Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a sharp “hell no” to suggestions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should advise people to both get vaccinated and mask up amid the spread of the delta variant in the United States.
“No. No. No. Hell NO,” the Texas senator said in response to a suggestion from Jerome Adams, former surgeon general under former President Donald Trump, who made waves over the weekend after stating that both he and Dr. Anthony Fauci “famously, prematurely, & wrongly advised against masks”:
No.
No.
No.
Hell NO. https://t.co/GDgTvsEk7E
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 18, 2021
“I felt it was the best call at the time, but now regret it,” he said, expressing concern that the CDC made a “similarly premature, misinterpreted, yet still harmful call on masking.”
“Instead of vax it OR mask it, the emerging data suggests CDC should be advising to vax it AND mask it in areas with cases and positivity- until we see numbers going back down again,” he continued, urging the federal health agency to “fix it”:
Last year Tony Fauci and I famously, prematurely, & wrongly advised against masks. I felt it was the best call at the time, but now regret it.
I’m worried the CDC also made a similarly premature, misinterpreted, yet still harmful call on masking in the face of ⬆️ delta variant.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021
What @CDCgov said was based on the science & conditions at the time, and amounted to “you’re safe IF you vax it OR mask it.”
Both the conditions (rising cases) & the science (delta variant) changed, but what people heard and held to was masks were no longer needed…
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021
Instead of vax it OR mask it, the emerging data suggests CDC should be advising to vax it AND mask it in areas with ⬆️ cases and positivity- until we see numbers going back down again.
CDC was well intended, but the message was misinterpreted, premature, & wrong. Let’s fix it.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021
Adams responded to Cruz, attempting to clarify that he was suggesting the change be made in areas with rising cases and hospitalizations.
“I believe in local control and states rights. As I thought you did. We should give our local health officials the guidance and flexibility to respond to emerging health and capacity needs. It’s not one size fits all- either way,” he said, concluding that the best mitigation strategy of all is to urge people to get vaccinated:
I believe in local control and states rights. As I thought you did. We should give our local health officials the guidance and flexibility to respond to emerging health and capacity needs. It’s not one size fits all- either way.
You disagree?
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 18, 2021
Final important point- the best way to protect hospitals, health care workers, and communities from a delta surge, and obviate the need for new mitigation measures (including masks) is to strongly encourage vaccinations. Happy to partner with you on this!
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 18, 2021
Nearly half of those who remain unvaccinated cite concerns over vaccine development and side effects as the reasons they have not received the jab, according to a Morning Consult survey released this month. Meanwhile, the CDC is urging vaccinated Americans to “help” the unvaccinated, with the ultimate goal to “make their vaccination happen.”
Los Angeles County reinstituted its indoor mask mandate over the weekend, requiring it regardless of vaccination status.
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