Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday said public health officials “consider all policy,” when asked about a potential vaccine mandate for domestic flights.
Appearing on Tuesday’s episode of NPR’s All Things Considered, NPR’s Ari Shapiro asked about Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent remarks regarding a potential coronavirus vaccine requirement for domestic flights.
“Dr. Anthony Fauci said he thinks it’s reasonable to consider a vaccine mandate for domestic flights. What do you think on that point?” Shapiro asked.
“You know, I think any – we consider all policy, you know, potential in policy,” Walensky began, explaining that the CDC is focused on getting as many people as possible vaccinated:
Here’s what I know. I know that the CDC strongly recommends vaccination for everyone. I know that the CDC strongly recommends boosting for everyone who is eligible. And I do know that if you are in the hospital now, you’re 17 times more likely to be unvaccinated than vaccinated. If you are a fatality case right now, quite sadly, you are 20% – 20-fold less likely to be boosted compared to somebody who is boosted.
“So right now, what we’re talking about is ways to get people vaccinated,” she continued, admitting such a requirement has been a “topic of conversation” but adding it is “not something we’re revisiting right now.”
Their remarks follow Dr. Anthony Fauci’s admission that a vaccine requirement for domestic air travel “would be welcome.”
“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC on Monday.
“If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered,” he added.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.