CNN Medical Analyst Wen: ‘Upsetting’ GOP Governors Not Allow Families to Protect Children

KING At that point ░░░░░░░░ s bring in to ░░░░░░░░ her insights and expertise ░░░░░░░░ CNN Medical Analyst Dr ░░░░░░░░ Wen she s the ░░░░░░░░ Baltimore Health Commissioner also ░░░░░░░░ of the new book ░░░░░░░░ A Doctor s Journey ░░░░░░░░ the Fight for Public ░░░░░░░░ Dr Wen let s ░░░░░░░░ with that How high ░░░░░░░░ fast how much more ░░░░░░░░ does the vaccine ramp ░░░░░░░░ need to be in ░░░░░░░░ race now against Delta ░░░░░░░░ we are losing WEN ░░░░░░░░ re right that we ░░░░░░░░ certainly losing this battle ░░░░░░░░ now I mean when ░░░░░░░░ look at even compared ░░░░░░░░ a month ago we ░░░░░░░░ at 900 percent the ░░░░░░░░ of new infections compared ░░░░░░░░ early July And there ░░░░░░░░ no particular end in ░░░░░░░░ I mean I think ░░░░░░░░ of us would want ░░░░░░░░ vaccination numbers to be ░░░░░░░░ lot higher in the ░░░░░░░░ that we know we ░░░░░░░░ a lot more community ░░░░░░░░ we can get there ░░░░░░░░ we also have to ░░░░░░░░ in mind that vaccination ░░░░░░░░ the short term is ░░░░░░░░ going to be the ░░░░░░░░ as an even if ░░░░░░░░ single person gets vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ we re still looking ░░░░░░░░ another six weeks before ░░░░░░░░ is enough immunity from ░░░░░░░░ population And so we ░░░░░░░░ need indoor mask mandates ░░░░░░░░ it s really upsetting ░░░░░░░░ think that in the ░░░░░░░░ the parts of the ░░░░░░░░ that have the most ░░░░░░░░ they are the places ░░░░░░░░ are least likely to ░░░░░░░░ imposing vaccine requirements and ░░░░░░░░ requirements too KING Right ░░░░░░░░ many of those same ░░░░░░░░ I m about to ░░░░░░░░ them on the map ░░░░░░░░ going back to school ░░░░░░░░ starting last week or ░░░░░░░░ week or in the ░░░░░░░░ few days So it ░░░░░░░░ overlaps And let s ░░░░░░░░ at that population This ░░░░░░░░ the this is the ░░░░░░░░ of the country Alabama ░░░░░░░░ now the only state ░░░░░░░░ look it has the ░░░░░░░░ 34 8 percent it ░░░░░░░░ below 35 percent of ░░░░░░░░ people vaccinated but just ░░░░░░░░ attention down here If ░░░░░░░░ look in this area ░░░░░░░░ the country here we ░░░░░░░░ the vaccination rate is ░░░░░░░░ lowest right Just remember ░░░░░░░░ as I switch This ░░░░░░░░ vaccination rate right So ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ at cases per 100 ░░░░░░░░ people Where s the ░░░░░░░░ The darker the state ░░░░░░░░ the higher the problem ░░░░░░░░ s the same area ░░░░░░░░ m going to stop ░░░░░░░░ for a second Dr ░░░░░░░░ Florida is the highest ░░░░░░░░ you see Arkansas Louisiana ░░░░░░░░ Alabama there is zero ░░░░░░░░ zero dispute here right ░░░░░░░░ vaccinations are low cases ░░░░░░░░ higher And if you ░░░░░░░░ at that Florida number ░░░░░░░░ now it jumps off ░░░░░░░░ table at you WEN ░░░░░░░░ s the correlation that ░░░░░░░░ re seeing And it ░░░░░░░░ scientific sense that in ░░░░░░░░ where there isn t ░░░░░░░░ lot of immunity that ░░░░░░░░ why the Delta variant ░░░░░░░░ ripping through these communities ░░░░░░░░ again I find it ░░░░░░░░ I think a lot ░░░░░░░░ us in public health ░░░░░░░░ so frustrated that at ░░░░░░░░ point we now have ░░░░░░░░ tools But there are ░░░░░░░░ leaders in these parts ░░░░░░░░ the country that are ░░░░░░░░ we don t want ░░░░░░░░ use the tools at ░░░░░░░░ disposal In fact we ░░░░░░░░ not even going to ░░░░░░░░ families to use these ░░░░░░░░ at their disposal to ░░░░░░░░ their children And that ░░░░░░░░ extremely upsetting especially because ░░░░░░░░ know how dangerous this ░░░░░░░░ variant is KING Right ░░░░░░░░ again I just want ░░░░░░░░ go through it for ░░░░░░░░ there are people I ░░░░░░░░ criticized all the time ░░░░░░░░ we re overstating this ░░░░░░░░ re hyping this right ░░░░░░░░ is where vaccinations are ░░░░░░░░ This is where cases ░░░░░░░░ high This is where ░░░░░░░░ are now going back ░░░░░░░░ It s the same ░░░░░░░░ area of the country ░░░░░░░░ you mentioned politicians many ░░░░░░░░ us want to stay ░░░░░░░░ course I just want ░░░░░░░░ show you Dr Wen ░░░░░░░░ headlines out of Florida ░░░░░░░░ is The Tampa Bay ░░░░░░░░ Florida adds 134 506 ░░░░░░░░ cases 616 deaths Miami ░░░░░░░░ record breaking 23 000 ░░░░░░░░ cases more people than ░░░░░░░░ hospitalized One of our ░░░░░░░░ medical contributors Dr Jonathan ░░░░░░░░ listen to this Clip ░░░░░░░░ REINER It s so ░░░░░░░░ in Florida that I ░░░░░░░░ that if Florida were ░░░░░░░░ country we would have ░░░░░░░░ consider banning travel from ░░░░░░░░ to the United States ░░░░░░░░ ends KING Provocative but ░░░░░░░░ points to the problem ░░░░░░░░ one state in particular ░░░░░░░░ driving a surge right ░░░░░░░░ WEN That s right ░░░░░░░░ we know that we ░░░░░░░░ have travel requirements for ░░░░░░░░ parts of the world ░░░░░░░░ have variants of concern ░░░░░░░░ are undergoing their own ░░░░░░░░ The only issue is ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ know that it doesn ░░░░░░░░ work for us to ░░░░░░░░ travel from different states ░░░░░░░░ are too many porous ░░░░░░░░ borders there s no ░░░░░░░░ to be really imposing ░░░░░░░░ testing requirements for people ░░░░░░░░ other states And that ░░░░░░░░ why I think for ░░░░░░░░ lot of us who ░░░░░░░░ living in areas and ░░░░░░░░ of the country that ░░░░░░░░ not going through massive ░░░░░░░░ right now we should ░░░░░░░░ be resting and saying ░░░░░░░░ well that s what ░░░░░░░░ happening in Florida or ░░░░░░░░ Louisiana We should be ░░░░░░░░ at what s going ░░░░░░░░ happen to our states ░░░░░░░░ because this is a ░░░░░░░░ that knows no borders ░░░░░░░░ it s only a ░░░░░░░░ of time too before ░░░░░░░░ may get another variant ░░░░░░░░ may be even worse ░░░░░░░░ the Delta variant in ░░░░░░░░ ways And so this ░░░░░░░░ should be a call ░░░░░░░░ action for all of ░░░░░░░░ If there is a ░░░░░░░░ in one part of ░░░░░░░░ country it affects everyone ░░░░░░░░ America KING I brought ░░░░░░░░ map up just to ░░░░░░░░ reinforce your point Dr ░░░░░░░░ that yes the problem ░░░░░░░░ greatest down here But ░░░░░░░░ see we re one ░░░░░░░░ we re one country ░░░░░░░░ a problem in one ░░░░░░░░ gets everywhere else and ░░░░░░░░ quickly Dr Wen grateful ░░░░░░░░ your time and insights.”