New CDC director will examine report suggesting some decongestants don't work
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The new director of the CDC says she'll look into a report from the FDA that some decongestants on the market don't work.
That's just one of the several questions that Dr. Mandy Cohen addressed in an exclusive interview with KDKA money editor Jon Delano.
Dr. Cohen has been on the job as the new head of the CDC for about eight weeks, and her focus this week has been promoting the new COVID booster shot, but KDKA asked her about the FDA report that a drug in many common decongestant pills does not work to decongest.
Delano: What's your view as the director of CDC about this report out of the Food and Drug Administration?
Cohen: You know, Jon, I've been so focused on making sure folks hear about these updated vaccines. I did see that headline, but I haven't honestly dug into the details on that yet.
Delano: More people use decongestants, believe me, than ever take vaccinations for COVID.
Cohen: We've got a lot of ways to protect ourselves, but I'll dig into that FDA information once we get through a couple more days of talking vaccines.
On the new COVID booster shot, Dr. Cohen says it's recommended this fall for everyone, especially those 65 and over.
Delano: If the pandemic is over, why bother?
Cohen: While we are outside of the emergency, I think we all wish we could leave COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, unfortunately, it is still here with us.
Cohen says the booster may not prevent COVID-19 but will make it less severe or deadly.
Another issue is, now that the pandemic is over and with the drug companies charging $120 to $130 for the shot, who pays?
"The good news is that everyone can get a free COVID vaccine this season. Either your insurance will cover it with no out-of-pocket costs, or the CDC is running a program for people who are uninsured or underinsured, meaning your insurance doesn't cover it fully, that they can get a free COVID vaccine at somewhere like CVS, Walgreens, or your local public health department," Dr. Cohen added.
Finally, KDKA asked the new director about the credibility problem that CDC and many public health agencies seem to have these days with some in the public.
"I think that trust is foundational, and it is certainly at the core of everything I am thinking about and the work that we are trying to do at the CDC."
Cohen, who was most recently North Carolina's Secretary of Health, says she will focus on transparency in everything, effective communication with the public, and developing easy solutions and tools for the public to interact with the CDC.
