Fauci to Prince George’s: It’s Safe, Here's Why
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Dr. Ernest Carter And Dr. Joseph Wright Host Webinar With Nation’s Leading Health Expert In Discussion Of Covid-19 Vaccine
By Raoul Dennis and Kia Lisby
In a 20-minute webinar Feb. 8, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks was joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci in a straightforward question and answer format discussion about the Covid-19 virus and the vaccines developed to address it.
The webinar was hosted on the county YouTube platform where some 2000 residents viewed the discussion. Watch it here
Dr. Ernest Carter, Chief Health Officer of the Prince George’s County Health Department, and Dr. Joseph Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Capital Region Health within the University of Maryland Medical System, lobbed questions at the nationally recognized health leader. The questions were predicated on the many concerns that County residents have had about the virus and the vaccine. Click the audio bar below to hear the full discussion.
Among the concerns, Dr. Fauci was asked about the safety of the vaccine based upon the speed at which it was developed. “It’s not a reflection of cutting corners,” Fauci said. The technology has been developed for 10 years before the virus. It is a matter of employing the technology to meet this crisis.
When asked if recipients can get the virus from the vaccine, Fauci responded that it is impossible because the vaccine is developed from a single protein and that the virus itself is not injected.
He went on to say that it is important for people and all communities – particularly communities of color --- to get the shot because African-Americans and Latinos are more susceptible to the ravages of the virus and death.
Asked whether masks are still required after receiving the vaccination, Dr. Fauci replied in the affirmative that mask-wearing would still be a good idea.
“It is important to prevent you from spreading the virus if you happen to have it to someone else,” he said. “For now, just to be sure, we recommend that even though people get vaccinated that they continue to wear a mask.”
Dr. Wright specifically asked about the mistrust that many African-Americans have toward the health industry as a result of the Tuskegee experiment, abuses to the Henrietta Lacks family and other mistreatment of poor and minority communities at the hands of medical industry professionals.
Fauci replied that there are ethical safeguards that have been put in place throughout the industry since Tuskegee. “There is close scrutiny by multiple ethical boards that would not allow that today,” he said.
