Amid mixed messages from the White House on the approval process for a possible coronavirus vaccine, Surgeon General of the United States Jerome Adams addressed those who may be skeptical of what some see as a politicization of science.
"You should have trust in the process if you don't have trust in the politics and the people," Adams told Cheddar. "I promise you this vaccine, when it gets across the finish line, will be safe, will be effective, and I will be in line to get it when they tell me that I can."
The surgeon general noted that he was aware of the long history of medical malpractice that has disproportionately impacted people of color, but stressed that safety mechanisms and oversight boards have since been put in place to protect people.
As the Trump administration consults with scientists who support the controversial "herd immunity" approach, Adams also pushed back against the idea that this would mean "letting everyone go out and get sick" but instead would be best achieved by securing a vaccine as quickly as possible.
"I talked to [Dr. Anthony] Fauci last night, and we still expect one by the end of this year or beginning of next year," he said.
In the meantime, Adams is rolling out a new guidance on hypertension, which is one of several preconditions that increase the chances of death from coronavirus.
"If you have high blood pressure, it puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, for stroke, which we know puts you at higher risk for complications and death from COVID," he said.
"People can't be expected to do this alone," he said. "We need to provide the community supports because people don't just have pre-existing medical conditions. They have pre-existing social conditions: lack of access to transportation, lack of a good-paying job, lack of child care. All of these things conspire to reduce our resilience, and we need to give more people the opportunity to make a healthy choice."
In light of the president's own COVID diagnosis, however, Adams made a general plea for all Americans to take basic preventive measures seriously such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing.
"What I want people to understand is that COVID is contagious," he said. "It's very contagious, doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican, black or white, rich or poor, or where you live. You can still get it, and you can still die from it."
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals Richenda Sandlin-Tymitz, Marketing & Content Manager at Alaska Tour & Travel, breaks down when and how to plan your best trip to Alaska; Kristen Miller, Acting Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Magic of the Wild.'
Kristen Miller, acting executive director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it.
The Department of Treasury is warning Americans to expect delays on their tax returns this year as the IRS manages staffing shortages due to the pandemic.
The United States and Russia remain distant following a meeting between high-level officials for the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland. The nations remain conflicted over Washington's concern of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Moscow dispute with NATO expanding into former Soviet states. Hagar Chemali, host of Oh My World on YouTube and former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., joined Cheddar's "News Wrap" to give her take about the careful diplomatic negotiations underway. "I would expect more rounds," she said about the talks. "Both sides really remain adamant that we're not going to talk about Russia's proposal, and Russia doesn't want to talk about anything but its proposal. So once they start talking about the other items on the table, and there are a few other items, that's when negotiations can start."
Markets closed the day mixed, and well off their lows of the day following a market meltdown earlier in the session. The Nasdaq staged a comeback late in the day, even amid ongoing worries about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Doug Flynn, certified financial planner and co-founder of Flynn Zito Capito, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the markets' close and what's driving the major indexes.
Eli Yokley, Senior Reporter at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss how Americans are prioritizing economic issues over the pandemic when it comes to voting.
President Biden's disapproval rating hit a new high in December according to a poll from CNBC and Change Research, as Americans expressed their disapproval over the current state of the economy. This comes just months after the president signed a historic infrastructure bill back in November that was promised to bring a surge of jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector.
Change Research Senior Pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz spoke to Cheddar News about just what is driving the President’s disapproval rating.
