Psaki On Why Biden Previously Said That The Vaccinated Don’t Need Masks: ‘A Different Strain Of Virus’
Psaki made the remarks in response to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asking why Biden previously said, “If you’ve been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Let me repeat: If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask.”
“Well, Peter, I think we’re all dealing with an evolving virus where there’s no playbook and no historic precedent. And what the American people should feel confident in is that we are going to continue to be guided by science, look at public health data in order to provide new guidance, if it’s needed, to save lives, to protect the American people,” Psaki responded. “When he made those comments back in May, we were dealing with a very different strain of the virus than we were — than we are today. And Delta is more transmissible. It’s spreading much more quickly. It was nearly non-existent in the United States back in May.”
Doocy later pushed Psaki about the issue again, asking “if the vaccines work, which this sign says that they do, then why do people who had the vaccine need to now wear masks — the same as people who have not had it?”
“Because the public health leaders in our administration have made the determination, based on data, that that is a way to make sure they’re protected, their loved ones are protected,” Psaki responded. “And that’s an extra step, given the transmissibility of the virus, that people — that they’re advising people to take.”