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They married in 1995 and have three sons. Schaffner added that he thinks Walensky will be an effective communicator in general a much needed skill for her new job, given that many Americans, not just health care workers, are hesitant about the new vaccine. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2021, Pinoria.com. So, while we are in a far better position than we were in January through April, this increased in red area is giving us all a reason to double-down and get more people vaccinated.The good news is that if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected against severe COVID, hospitalization, and death, and are even protected against the known variants including the Delta variant circulating in the country.If you are not vaccinated, you remain at risk. Born Rochelle Bersoff, Dr. Walensky grew up in Potomac, Md. But she has emerged as a prominent voice on the pandemic, sometimes criticizing certain aspects of the state and national response. I will provide an update on how were working on a number of fronts to manage this virus. These days, she spends the week in Atlanta, waking up at 5:30 a.m. and working until 11 p.m. And then Ill make a comment on international travel. For her birthday a few years ago, her team at the hospital came to work dressed like her wearing black, or white, or black-and-white, Dr. Freedberg said. "It wasn't even just that we didn't know what the government was doing. Q Hi. She joined Harvard University in 1998 as a research fellow and in 2001 she became an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Later that week, new guidance from the agency said that vaccinated people could safely travel, but Dr. Walensky added that the agency did not actually want them to travel at all, a stance that left some Americans perplexed. All rights reserved. Rochelle Walensky is an American physician-scientist. The truth is that, across our nation, the voices of doctors, nurses, scientists, and public health experts are too often being drowned out by the false sirens of misinformation. Geni requires JavaScript! And that has had a detrimental effect on the agencys ability to fulfill its mission, said Dr. Richard Besser, a former CDC official who now heads the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. guidance or in her tone: The viruss hold on the country is loosening, but large parts of the population remain unvaccinated and the pandemic is not yet over. It wasnt until lunchtime, when everyone took out a yogurt, a root beer and a little bag of pretzels, her standard lunch, that she noticed. "They have been diminished," she said. Covid has taken up nearly all of Dr. Walenskys attention, but she has a long list of ambitious goals for the agency post-pandemic, including modernizing the nations public health infrastructure, addressing the health impact of climate change and managing what she called the collateral damage of the pandemic. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said more than 4.1 million adolescents 12 to 17 have been vaccinated so far, including over half a million 12-15-year-olds who have lined up to get a shot since the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for adolescents earlier this month. And this type of localized, person-to-person approach takes some time, but it is working.In the past 10 days, 5 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves to get a shot in their arms, and millions more Americans will get vaccinated across the summer months.Importantly, states with the highest case rates are seeing their vaccination rates go up. Walensky has also shared her familys personal plight with the virus in urging more Americans to get the shot. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the deputy director, and Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who led the agencys infectious disease center have led to speculation about continuing unrest within the agency. But if we just let the virus run free without mitigation strategies, such as masking, our hospitals will overflow and that would mean we would no longer be able to take care of the populations health across the board. ". Were going to have to really seriously address these myths that are floating around, and Im not even sure how to start to do that, she added. And then well open it up for a few questions.Now, over to you, Dr. Walensky.DR. My kids jumped up. I saw the mental toll they were taking, but I did not see them giving up.. scientists are now routinely involved in conversations with the White House, where previously they were sidelined and silenced. Its my responsibility to tell both of those stories.. Because we have fully vaccinated more than 160 million Americans, weve fundamentally changed the course of this pandemic from one that puts the lives and livelihoods of all Americans at risk, to one that predominantly threatens unvaccinated people.As Dr. Walensky said, as the more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread across the country, we will likely continue and experi- continue to experience an increase in COVID cases in the weeks ahead, with these cases concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates. employees called on then-director Dr. Redfield to address ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination against Black staff members and outlined a seven-point plan. And we sent a lot of kids home and camps were closed. And those happening now are even more tragic because they are preventable. Her father, Edward Bersoff, was a mathematician and engineer at NASA; her mother, Carol Bersoff-Bernstein, was an executive at a. And please do it to protect your young children who, right now, cant get vaccinated themselves. Id like to continue it along the lines that Dr. Walensky had mentioned, but now maybe take a look at it from a global standpoint, if I could have the first slide. And she weighed in often publicly on Twitter, in newspapers, and on radio and TV. And this week, at the request of the Nevada governor, we are deploying more than a hundred people to the state to help enhance vaccine access and support vaccine outreach efforts.And were providing CDCs technical expertise including on genetic sequencing, data analysis, and outbreak response to Missouri to help support the state in its response.We stand ready to support our state partners with the help they need to curb the spread of the virus and increase vaccinations in their states.And finally, we continue to be prepared for any and every scenario, including the possibility of booster shots, if and when the science shows they are needed.At this time, the CDC and FDA have said Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot. Maybe, you know, latter part of this year, early next year just curious.I also know that there can be higher risk of side effects, potentially, with a third booster shot. However, if you look at the trend on the far righthand part of that slide, theres that uptick, which somehow was reflecting what Dr. Walensky just told you about the slight uptick that were seeing in hospitalizations in our own country. COVID cases have been on the rise after Thanksgiving. Copyright 2021 Pinoria, All rights Reserved. What Rochelle will have is instant credibility with the practicing community. February 27, 2023 Michael S. Regan Administrator Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20460 Dr. Rochelle Walensky To rebuild CDC, Biden picks Rochelle Walensky The chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital will take a top role in helping the new administration curtail the . I think we should be making sure people understand because the question often gets asked, particularly among the unvaccinated If youre talking about boosting people, does that mean that the vaccines dont work? Thats not the case at all. ZIENTS: And, Kaitlan, on the second question, well defer to the FDA. Stay up to date with everything Boston. President Joe Biden and members of his COVID task force are using personal stories to persuade young people get vaccinated following up on the Food and Drug Administration authorizing the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 earlier this month. got the medical and epidemiological science right, but what they did not get right was the behavioral science, the communications and working collaboratively with other stakeholders, Dr. Gounder said. While public health veterans say they do not know everything that happened behind the scenes, they say Redfield apparently failed to stand up for agency scientists, declined to contradict Trump and those around him and passively allowed the Trump administration to post its messaging on CDC websites. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky about new guidelines that have the isolation period for asymptomatic people who have COVID.. And she likens the call she got from the Biden administration to a hospital alarm that goes off when a patient is in cardiac arrest. They are a last resort. But six months later, he still suffers from tachycardia, shortness of breath, and ongoing and frequent flu-like symptoms. As for the president, whose own life has been marked by family tragedies, Biden has often referenced his own losses in relating to Americans dealing with the pandemic's hardships. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the administrations lead adviser on the pandemic, defended Dr. Walenskys track record and said he had full confidence in her ability to lead the C.D.C. Around the country, we're seeing now decreases in rates of RSV, fortunately, in the South, South Central, even in the Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic region. It's amazing. Folks across the political spectrum have had reason to doubt the veracity and accuracy, sometimes, of CDCs messages, said Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Do you agree with that guidance? Shes clear, articulate and she can deliver messages with a smile. And just this week, I traveled to New Mexico to meet with youth leaders, clinicians, and public health leaders from across the state. Americans everywhere are going to be gathering with their families and other loved ones to celebrate the holidays. Is it a different sort of strategy? And thats a situation that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is going to look at next week. Simply put, health misinformation has cost us lives. Do we believe that they will maintain some protection against infection? You have JavaScript disabled. And in November, she offered a sobering reality check from the front lines about current COVID-19 medical treatments: "When I think about the armamentarium of true drugs that we have that benefit people with this disease, it's pretty sparse," she said. Staff scientists took the lead, holding regular news conferences to update the public on the emerging problem. In selecting @RWalensky, Biden has chosen one of the most respected infectious disease docs in the world. And what do we do now?' At Tuesday's White House briefing, senior coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt revealed that one of his sons, Zach, who is 19, has serious lingering effects from COVID-19 -- six months after he first tested positive. "She stood out," he says. had to walk back. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. ZIENTS: Dr. Walensky, do you want to take the second question? It was that sometimes it felt like sabotage. She will succeed Dr. Robert Redfield, 69, who came to the CDC with a similar resume as an outsider from academia. Daughter of Private and Private And we have certainly always said that masking is a personal choice. While the agency has retained some of its top scientific talent, public health experts say, it has a long list of needs, including new protection from political influence, a comprehensive review of its missteps during the pandemic and more money to beef up basic functions like disease tracking and genetic analysis. I have to fix that.". But very importantly, technology companies must act as well. Stay home when you're sick. Several topics were raised during the hearing, including the pause on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the timeline for reopening schools, and COVID-19 testing for . They have been credited with being the brain behind her success as they gave her everything she needed to develop into the very smart and successful woman she now is. Rochelle Walensky Religion You know, this strategy as we think, going forward, about how to get the rest of the country vaccinated has got to involve everyone. Thats something I think will be fixed on Day One, he said. The podcasts host, Dr. Howard Bauchner, who is also editor of the journal, praised her effusively. And so we are hopeful that those trends will continue. Under unrelenting pressure from the pandemic and the Trump administration, the atmosphere inside the agency devolved last year into ugly rivalries and turf wars, according to several staff scientists. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. Walensky serves as the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and a practicing Infectious Disease physician both at MGH and at Brigham and Womens Hospital. Tens of millions have been infected. Shes not a crier if anything, I get choked up much more easily than she does, he said. Retrospectively, when you look at the negative reaction of so many people, so many organizations, you have to come to the conclusion that it could have been done better, he said. Walensky brought a plaque from her desk in Boston to CDC headquarters in Atlanta. And so that's really the goal. CHANG: I mean, why isn't the CDC more strongly recommending masking in public places right now, during this so-called tripledemic? Im going to pause here, Im going to lose the script and Im going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom, she said, her eyes glistening with tears. In fact, in the past week, the five states with the highest case rates Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Nevada had a higher rate of people getting newly vaccinated compared to the national average.At the same time, our COVID-19 Surge Response Teams are working with governors and local public health officials to provide specific federal resources and capabilities to fight outbreaks due to the spread of the Delta variant.We are already helping many states to identify and address specific needs, including testing, therapeutics, and vaccinations. But the confusing communications rattled a few, turning optimism into uncertainty and disappointment, one senior C.D.C. Date Filed Document Text; March 2, 2023: Filing 3 Notice to File Rule 7.1 Disclosure Statement. floundered at the beginning of the pandemic, pilloried for its botched coronavirus test and antiquated data systems. You can just look at her and just by her presence know that she is both competent and dedicated, said Schaffner, a liaison representative on the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Q Thank you all for doing this. Copyright 2022 NPR. MR. ZIENTS: So, Dr. Fauci on breakthrough cases. But, importantly, over 97 percent of people who are entering the hospital right now are unvaccinated. Her leadership of the C.D.C. Like the federal government was actively trying to mess things up.". In early December, Dr. Katy Stephenson was watching TV with her family and scrolling through Twitter when she saw a tweet that made her shout. COVID-19 Vaccines Don't Prevent Transmission of Virus. Within the C.D.C., many scientists were relieved to have a leader who put science above politics. Biden unveils health team that will lead pandemic response. 1. But the actual studies to do whether or not the transmission occurs is a large study thats ongoing right now. "I said 'Oh, my God!' ZIENTS: Please.SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: on thought there? Over time we will be able to maybe one day not be in our masks anymore, but I have told my family I anticipate theyll be wearing a mask for the better part of 21, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a video produced by her hospital last month. Were asking them to operate with greater transparency, to modify their algorithms to avoid amplifying misinformation, and to swiftly and consistently take action against misinformation super-spreaders on their platforms.Shortly after releasing the advisory, we saw organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, the Digital Public Library of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics step up and respond to this call to action by committing their time, resources, and networks to confronting health misinformation. would no longer bend to political meddling. In 2008 she won the Emerging Leader in HIV Research sponsored by the HIV Medical Association and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Born Rochelle Bersoff, Dr. Walensky grew up in Potomac, Md. I literally cried the night that I found out that Rochelle was going to be C.D.C. Next slide. The nurses survey was done in the first half of October, before data came out from Pfizer and Modernas large-scale clinical trials showing that the vaccines had no serious safety concerns and were 95% effective. She is married to Loren D. Walensky and they have 3 children. 524 Rochelle Walensky Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 524 rochelle walensky stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. And then some more protection against hospitalization, severe disease, yes. It might be tough for people to hear Walenskys message that masks will still be necessary well into the new year, Schaffner noted. Walensky's private Feb. 10, 2021, roundtable featured five participants, including Roz Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand With Trans, an organization for parents of transgender. Lets go to Zeke Miller with AP. And Ill pass it back to Jeff. Next Post: Readout of President Joe Bidens Participation in the APEC Virtual Leaders Retreat, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/07/16/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-45/?utm_source=link, Office of the United States Trade Representative, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/COVID-Press-Briefing_16July2021_for-transcript.pdf. "A vaccine may feel unnecessary. I am so grateful to @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris and @Transition46 for their faith in this truly remarkable woman. The AP is solely responsible for all content. And if you are diagnosed early, we have antivirals that can be used to shorten your disease course and your disease severity. [1] MODERATOR: Kaitlan Collins at CNN. Her father, Edward Bersoff, was a mathematician and engineer at NASA; her mother, Carol Bersoff-Bernstein, was an executive at a technology company. During a news briefing on March 29, as infections began to rise again, she looked into the camera and, in a voice quavering with emotion, pleaded with Americans not to stop taking precautions against the coronavirus. Like, here in LA County, the public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said just this week that, quote, "everybody should just go ahead and put those masks on when they're indoors." So weve secured enough vaccine supply. She has been selected to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Biden administration, replacing Robert R. Redfield. ZIENTS: Oh, go ahead, Dr. Walensky. Dr. Rochelle Walensky likens the call she got from the Biden team, asking her to lead the CDC amid a pandemic, to a hospital alarm that goes off when a patient's heart has stopped. Rochelle holds an American nationality and belongs to the white ethnicity. Similar. In one of the videos, Walensky explains the basics of the two vaccines, including that they use a new type of technology, they need to be given in two doses, and they have to be kept at cold temperatures. My husband looked over. She was six feet tall, he was 5-foot-8 and she just caught my eye, he recalled. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Center for Disease Prevention and Control Director Rochelle Walensky about the "tripledemic.". Rochelle at baseline is an excellent communicator, but I think in a situation this fraught politically, operationally and how quickly the science moves youre going to make mistakes, said Dr. Celine Gounder, a former adviser to Mr. Bidens team on Covid-19. When asked why CDC posted new guidance telling fully vaccinated individuals they can go without masks before updating guidance for schools, businesses, and travel, Walensky said they're working diligently on it. One of the things that gives me hope is I did not see a large exodus from CDC during this past year. CHANG: Well, finally, may I just ask you, what precautions is your own family going to be taking this holiday season? President Biden had promised that the C.D.C. Its a science-based sell, and we have to stick with that, he said. declined to comment on how the mask recommendations were handled. The White House Rochelle is 6 feet tall. advice must be better attuned to the real world, critics say. The respiratory virus RSV has been surging for weeks, sending kids to emergency rooms. But this time, the Biden transition team named Walensky in advance, so she could take the agencys reins even before her boss is in place. The President, yesterday, said that he was hoping for a timeline to set a timeline for lifting some travel restrictions in the next couple of days. "And I think our entire division would lie down in traffic for her.". WALENSKY: We know that, you know, as variants have progressed, they have evaded immunity more and more. Walensky told the medical journal JAMA last month that she'll welcome straight talk from the scientists at the CDC as well. Both vaccines are most effective two weeks after the second dose, with each exceeding 90 percent effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization, and death in real-world studies. Leading and rebuilding the CDC in the midst of a pandemic will be difficult. "I have a 16-year-old myself and I can tell you he wanted to get the vaccine. Walensky did not respond to interview requests from The Associated Press. But if you are beyond that window, I want to reiterate: There is no bad time to get your second shot.Do it for yourself, your family, and for your community. And across this country people are suffering. And where Dr. Redfield was reticent, Dr. Walensky has often taken a surprisingly direct approach. "Last fall, one of my sons contracted COVID-19. Washington CNN Since the early days of her time as Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky has made comments and claims over Covid-19 guidance. So, wondering if you all can paint a picture of who is actually being hospitalized by the Delta variant. This top tier agency, world-renowned, hasn't really been appreciated over the last four years and really markedly over the last year or so. Or is that just a must have decision by date. But in a recent interview, she was unapologetic about the rapid shifts in C.D.C. Meet the Team Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky has come under criticism for the confusing messaging. She earned an MPH in clinical effectiveness from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2001 after participating in the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Womens Hospital Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. He wants his life back," she told lawmakers. They were both Jewish, and shared a deep interest in medicine and music she played the flute and he was a classical pianist. DR. FAUCI: Yes, well, as Dr. Rochelle Walensky has said multiple times, the CDC is looking at a number of different cohorts that will get the information that will be needed as she said if and when and to whom we will be giving boosters. For instance, the agency removed guidance that advised limiting church choir activities even though studies had demonstrated the danger of transmission of extended singing indoors. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Scenes from Mass General were still fresh in her mind when she arrived at the C.D.C. director he chose would be free to make scientifically grounded decisions without interference from politicians. She is involved in a medical discussion on the best strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve herd immunity. Georgetowns Westmoreland called for a law or other measure to prohibit political appointees from having editorial review of CDC science and to ban them from controlling when the agency releases information. Contact: Media Relations. As someone who has lost 10 family members to COVID-19 and who wishes each and every day that they had had access to the vaccine, its painful to know that nearly every death we are seeing now from COVID-19 could have been prevented. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. She joined MGH in 2000 as a graduate assistant at the medical walk-in unit. Look, theres a lot government can do. She served on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted research on vaccine delivery and strategies to reach underserved communities. Why a Covid-19 vaccine doesn't mean that you can stop wearing a mask. Thank you for taking my question. We encourage that people get vaccinated on schedule three or four weeks after your first dose. 3:22 PM EST, Wed December 16, 2020, Researchers tested 14 types of masks. It will take all of us. I know what its like to not be there when it happens," Biden said back in February to mark 500,000 American lives lost. director. That includes 11 million delayed pediatric vaccinations; widespread mental health problems; an uptick in opioid overdoses; and lapses in control of high blood pressure, cancer and H.I.V. But as weve all said: At this particular time, right now, we dont recommend that there be boosters for people.MR. Those counties most frequently correspond to counties with low vaccination rates. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. Khazarian-Installed CDC Director Rochelle Walensky Lies Whenever Her Lips Are Moving Producing An Exploding Covid Vax Mortality Rate (Video) Posted on March 3, 2023 by Walensky announced today that she has decided to nationalize America's rental properties, millions and millions of them from Maine to California. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. So, literally, in real time, we talk about this literally on a daily basis, and evidence is being accumulated on a daily and weekly basis. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. Next question. He also recommended a review of the CDC to determine if the agencys problems can be traced to mismanagement by Trumps political appointees or whether there are deeper flaws in the organization. She saw many people die. Walensky is an expert on AIDS and HIV. staff members. But what should we be doing to keep everyone safe from illness? She worked with Dr. Ken Freedberg, a leading expert on how money is best spent in medicine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gives her opening statement during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing to discuss the on-going federal response to Covid-19, May 11, 2021, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh). 3 Best Diets For Overall Well-Being In 2023. DR. FAUCI: Well, what we do know in the cases that were looked at: If you are vaccinated and you get infected, and you compare that person if youre an asymptomatic infected breakthrough vaccinated case and compare that to someone who is infected but not vaccinated and asymptomatic, the level of virus in the nasal pharynx of the vaccinated person is considerably less than the virus in the nasal pharynx of a person who is infected, unvaccinated, and asymptomatic. Eventually, she became his boss. Every shot is progress. Dr. Kenneth Freedberg was standing at his wife's bedside in a Boston hospital's intensive care unit when an . Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe, via Getty Images. First, lets go to Carl ODonnell at Reuters. MR. ZIENTS: Next question. So how to navigate this so-called tripledemic (ph) as the holidays approach? Next slide shows data from the UK with the Delta variant, which the Pfizer-BioNTech, which clearly reflects what well be seeing with Moderna, is 96 percent effective against hospitalization. Dr. Walenskys appointment instantly made her one of the most influential women in the nation, and was greeted with enthusiasm by public health experts and C.D.C. Rochelle Walensky (Rochelle Paula Walensky, MD, MPH) serves as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. And then, if there's a large gathering, consider wearing a mask. WALENSKY: So we have been recommending masking, as I said, in areas with high COVID-19 community levels. However, we know that the vaccines that are listed on the lefthand part of this slide that are being used in this country namely the Pfizer, Moderna, and the J&J both in lab studies and in clinical effectiveness studies show the effectiveness of these vaccines against the Delta variant, particularly, and importantly, against hospitalization.