CDC Plans to ‘Pivot the Language’ on Vaccination: Walensky

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky speaks during a hearing in Washington on Nov. 4, 2021. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said that her agency is looking to change the language regarding COVID-19 vaccines.

When asked about why the health agency is not changing the definition to include whether one is fully vaccinated with a booster dose or not, Walensky told reporters the CDC is working to “pivot the language to make sure that everybody is as up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as they personally could be, should be, based on when they got their last vaccine.”

“So, importantly, right now, we’re pivoting our language. We really want to make sure people are up to date,” she said during remarks on Jan. 21. “That means if you recently got your second dose, you’re not eligible for a booster, you’re up to date. If you are eligible for a booster and you haven’t gotten it, you’re not up to date and you need to get your booster in order to be up to date.”

Previously, Walensky and other federal officials said that the government would not change the definition of what it means to be “fully vaccinated.” Currently, being fully vaccinated, under the CDC’s recommendation, entails having two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

CDC data suggests that about 210 million Americans are considered fully vaccinated, and 83 million have received a booster dose.

The CDC’s rules on what it means to be fully vaccinated are significant because, in some areas, a person’s vaccination status is tied to their employment or whether they can enter certain businesses such as restaurants. A growing number of businesses and institutions have started to mandate that employees or students get a booster shot.

In December, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters that the state might soon change the definition to require a booster, which may impact the employment statuses of state workers.

“At some point we may have to determine that ‘fully vaccinated’ means boosted as well, and we’ll give people a sufficient time frame to make that happen,” she said on Dec. 19. “I’m just sending out the message now: Prepare for that.”

And about a week ago, officials in Hawaii told The Epoch Times that the state is mulling mandating a booster shot in order for a person to be considered fully vaccinated. It means that those who try to enter the archipelago may have to show proof they’ve received the extra dose.

“Hawaii is not requiring booster shots as part of the state’s Safe Travels program. However, that requirement is under consideration. Stay tuned,” Brooks Baehr, administrative assistant for COVID-19 and pandemic response for the Hawaii Department of Health, said on Jan. 19.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.