Redfield says masks are a better form of protection against COVID than a vaccine

[BeyondGeography]

CDC director Robert Redfield suggested in a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that face masks are "more guaranteed" to protect against the coronavirus than a vaccine, citing the potential for some people to not become immune to the virus after receiving the shot.

What he's saying: "These face masks are the most important, powerful public health tool we have. And I will continue to appeal for all Americans, all individuals in our country, to embrace these face coverings. I've said if we did it for 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks, we'd bring this pandemic under control," he said.

"I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against COVID than when I take a COVID vaccine. Because the immunogenicity may be 70%, and if I don't get an immune response, the vaccine's not going to protect me. This face mask will."

https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-vaccine-redfield-cdc-masks-30db3e33-dc30-40ed-ad5b-f364a0e544c0.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic&utm_content=1100

Link to tweet

[Disaffected]

1. No wonder Gates is pissed:

What is the point and purpose of such a comment? Why not just say both are very important??

[LastDemocratInSC]

2. Redfield is correct.

If a person is in the 30% group who won't get immunity from a vaccine then the mask will provide protection. This depends on the mask, of course, and the N95 masks offer good protection. Maybe better even than the 70% offered by the vaccine (using Redfield's example).

A person who gets vaccinated won't know if he has gained immunity, and like the flu vaccine it takes weeks to build up anyway. So, abandoning the mask after vaccination is a dangerous step but I'm sure many will do that anyway, and then things will get worse.

As you said, both the mask and vaccine are important.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Biden just endorsed Redfield's quote

Link to tweet

[BeckyDem]

4. Recommend.