COVID-19 Update: One-On-One With CDC Director Rochelle Walensky

As we head into 2022, there are still so many unknowns, questions, and updates about COVID-19 for parents to keep track of. Scary Mommy had a chance to talk one-on-one with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, M.D for an update on the latest guidance, research, and vaccine timing for children.

One of the most sought-after updates by parents of young children is when the Pfizer vaccine will become available for kids under 5. The less-than-stellar effectiveness rates coming out of the last round of Pfizer trials are a definite setback for the under-5 vaccine rollout. However, it is an example of the thorough testing every parent wants to ensure happens before a vaccine goes into the arms of our kids. For this one, the wait is now looking like it may extend to dsthe second half of 2022.

Breakthrough infections are happening in all age groups, which is a fun twist to planning (or cancelling) holiday gatherings. In this interview, Walensky explains that while we hear of more and more vaccinated folks testing positive for COVID-19, this does not mean that vaccines are not working — in fact, it means the opposite. Thankfully, most vaccinated people can avoid serious illness and hospitalization, which is 10 times more likely to occur for the unvaccinated.

Testing and where to get rapid tests has turned into the Hunger Games, just ask your local mom group. Fortunately, Walensky confirmed that the Biden administration has secured 500 million rapid tests that will soon be made available for free to any American family.

The biggest question everyone wants to know is, “When will this hellstorm be over?” While the CDC director can’t predict the future, she does remind us that vaccinating every eligible member of our household is the best path forward to ending the pandemic. Together, she says, “we will get through this.”