Monday, April 12, 2021
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, President Biden says every adult in the U.S. will be eligible for a vaccine by April 19. So far, about one-fifth of Americans are fully vaccinated, and about one-third have received at least one dose.
But when do things get back to “normal?” As more Americans become vaccinated, new questions are emerging.
Some health experts argue “vaccine passports” are key to normalcy. As a smartphone app or a physical document, it could serve as proof of vaccination and grant access to things like sporting arenas or airplanes. But not everyone approves — the governors of Florida and Texas have preemptively banned vaccine passports.
And what, exactly, can you do once you are fully vaccinated? Will variants throw a wrench into the country’s move toward normalcy? As new cases are on the rise in some states, is there a fourth wave on the horizon?
We sit down with public health experts to get an update on how COVID-19 vaccines are stymying the pandemic in some ways — but opening a can of worms in others.
Guests
Gibbie Harris, public health director for Mecklenburg County
Hannah Smoot, reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Michael Thompson, associate professor of public health sciences at UNC Charlotte
