Dr. Tom Frieden, former head of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned this week that if more dangerous and contagious variants of the novel Coronavirus continue to spread rapidly, the U.S. and the world could see more challenges down the road with COVID-19 vaccines.
“Not only does uncontrolled spread cause avoidable illness, hospitalization, and death, but it increases the risk that an even more dangerous variant may emerge that could make the vaccine less effective,” said Frieden.
This alarming possibility worries experts as many governors begin easing COVID-19 restrictions and as spring breakers return home following some of the busiest travel weeks of the pandemic so far. It is estimated that over 1.5 million Americans were screened at U.S. airports on Sunday, beating the COVID-era travel record set only two days prior with 1.3 million Americans in the air.
Frieden warns that Americans need to stay patient and continue to follow COVID-19 restrictions as vaccine rollout efforts continue on. “When people travel and mix, you can see a big surge of infections of a couple of weeks later,” said Frieden.
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