On Wednesday’s broadcast of NBC’s “Today,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky commented on the World Health Organization and some areas in the U.S. recommending masking for vaccinated people by stating that “those masking policies are not to protect the vaccinated. They’re to protect the unvaccinated.”
Walensky began by stating that the World Health Organization has to make recommendations for the whole world, much of which isn’t vaccinated, while the United States is in a much better spot with vaccinations.
She continued that policies need to be made based on local conditions, and “those masking policies are not to protect the vaccinated. They’re to protect the unvaccinated.”
She added, “[I]f you’re vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the United States. We would suggest that you look to your local policies. Because we would like our policymakers — even if you’re one of the one-third of people vaccinated in an area to adhere to the policies to protect — the policies that are made to protect the unvaccinated. And then, of course, as we have always said, if you have an immunocompromising condition, if you might have had a transplant, and you’re vaccinated, everybody should consider their own situation if they would feel more comfortable wearing a mask.”
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