'Trust But Verify:' New Mask Guidance Causing Relief But Concern
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Not having to wear a mask everywhere has been a relief on one hand and a concern on the other.
The unmasking is based on the honor system and CBS News Medical Expert and the CEO of the Ellison Institute of Transformative Medicine Dr. David Agus says the honor system is not reliable.
"I think we need a way to validate who has the vaccine has immunity versus who doesn't here in the United States I think it's going to be critical as we go forward," Dr. Agus says that would catch the U.S. up with the rest of the world. "Africa the European Union, in many countries in the Middle East, as well as Asian countries have a digital ID system where the government has just like here in the United States they know who has been vaccinated versus not. And they are given a QR code for their phone."
With the QR code in place Dr. Agus says public places like restaurants, "could have a scanner that QR is that hey, you had a vaccine. Please come in, inside to a restaurant. You don't have a vaccine, We're gonna have you eat on the deck and outside and this table."
But in lieu of any type of verification and with more and more places dropping the masks Dr. Agus says families have to adopt their own mask policy.
There is an old Russian proverb that President Reagan famously quoted "trust but verify."
Dr. Agus says in this case, if you can't verify, you can't trust.
"So these rules about going out without a mask do not apply if you're not vaccinated, and do not apply if you're under 12," he says.
So to protect your children Dr. Agus says, "If you're a parent, you're going out your children you may want to wear a mask so that you can normalize their behavior and make it easier for them to do, it's very hard to explain to a five-year-old, why they have to wear masks and you don't."
A vaccinated parent however won't need the mask when they are without their children. Dr. Agus says even if a parent is exposed the chances of carrying enough of the virus to infect anyone is almost non-existent if you have been vaccinated.
But he says don't throw out your masks.
"In the summer, there's a lot less viral spread the numbers come down dramatically as we go into the fall, next winter. There may be a slight resurgence is across the country, we're going to need periods when we wear masks again," he explains.
As for needing a booster shot Dr. Agus says that is highly likely.
"These vaccines are kicking butt, as we say in the business, and they are doing remarkably well around the globe," he says. "The problem is you really need a lot of immunity to fight off these new variants of concern. And so we have to keep immunity, not just at a good level but at a great level. And so the likelihood is is that there will be a third shot, my gut is this will probably be the last one but one needed a booster if you will, at the end of the year, beginning of next year."
He also expects when Pfizer's vaccine is adjusted this summer so that it no longer needs severe refrigeration the boosters will roll out in doctors' offices and places where we traditionally get the annual flu shot and it will be available in a widespread way that won't lead to the rush as we saw with the initial vaccinations.