A professor at Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases reportedly said this week that new government guidelines saying that even vaccinated people should wear masks in some areas is an idea with which he agrees.
William Schaffner, who serves as a professor of medicine, reportedly told The Epoch Times that he believes the new guidance makes sense.
“The vaccines are excellent at keeping us out of the hospital. They’re not quite as good as preventing infection, and if you’re going to get infection even though you’re vaccinated you could also transmit it to others,” Schaffner reportedly said.
“You’re less likely to do that, but nonetheless you could do it. And so I think this new guidance helps protect the people who are vaccinated and also contributes to a reduction in transmission to others.”
The Tennessee Star’s attempts to contact the Vanderbilt School of Medicine and, by extension, Schaffner, were unsuccessful Wednesday.
Schaffner, according to his biography on Vanderbilt’s website, is the current medical director and past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. He has also served on the Executive Board for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced this week that he won’t impose any new restrictions or mask mandates, even with the rise of the Delta variant and regular cases.
The mayor made this declaration in response to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAIH) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci’s interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper. Fauci revealed that he and other public health officials were considering renewed guidance recommending masks for fully-vaccinated individuals.
Jacobs made his stance clear in an interview with reporters on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, Jacobs explained further that he prioritized individual rights over a public good.
“Individual freedoms are important to me. That’s why I stood strong against the lockdowns and will continue to fight to protect your rights,” tweeted Jacobs.
On Tuesday, the CDC updated its guidance in the near future to recommend masks for all individuals in areas with substantial or high transmission rates – regardless of vaccination status. The CDC included the link to their nationwide case tracker to relay which areas have substantial or high transmission rates.
According to the latest data released last week from the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), there are 563 cases of the Delta variant in the state. Approximately 97 percent of total estimated COVID-19 cases have recovered.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “William Schaffner” by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
