COVID-19 continues to evolve, and each new variant poses new risks and often evades immunity developed by vaccination or infection. As new subvariants pop up overseas, what should U.S. health officials keep an eye on? And what happens next as we head into the fall season and another possible booster shot campaign? Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt Medical Center, joins Closing Bell to discuss what risks the newest variants pose, mitigation strategies, and more.

Closing Bell

How Americans Should Prepare As New COVID-19 Variants Emerge

Welcome back to closing bell on cheddar news everyone. Let's tune turn to the latest in the pandemic. Many people anticipated that after last winter's delta and oh Macron surges herd immunity would be robust enough. Thanks to immunity game through vaccination or even infection. But it turns out the virus continues to mutate and doctors now say the quote unquote immune variants may be able to get around immunity protection. So is there a reason to panic? And what about a fall vaccine campaign? Well, joining me now is Dr William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Medical Center Dr Schaffner. Thanks so much for joining the show. Look as new variants pop up this time now in India the UK Germany and a handful of other countries. What should we in the US be keeping an eye on? Well, I think we in the U. S. Kristen want to be keeping an eye on ourselves. Are we vaccinated? Are we up to date in our vaccinations? And I say this although these variants are somewhat different than the strains that are in the current vaccine, it's very interesting if you're vaccinated and boosted we still have really solid protection against hospitalization against serious disease. Oh it's true these variants can infect us and give us bad cole's even though we're vaccinated or we've had covid previously but we can deal with bad coals, we know how to do that. What we don't want to do is go into the hospital and so these vaccines that we have now If we take advantage of them. We'll keep our hospitalizations pretty darn low. Mhm. So doctor what should Americans be preparing for heading into the fall, of course, people over the age of 60 can get another booster if they want immuno compromised, people can get a booster an additional booster as well. And then more boosters may be rolling out in the fall. How should families be planning for navigating the coronavirus and this continual pandemic come the start of the school year? Well, I think we'll have to stay tuned. As you say. It looks as though we may get updated vaccines just as we get updated influenza vaccines this fall and these updated covid vaccines will take into account some of these omicron variants as we're going to school or preparing to go to school. I still have to make a plea to parents to talk to their pediatricians and their family doctors. We have so many Children who still remain unvaccinated and the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and our Children particularly as they get ready for school just to get them vaccinated against. Do you recommend that americans continue to mask as new variants spread? Obviously the virus continues to mutate and we want to eventually move beyond a pandemic to some sort of endemic stage can masks, help us get there, Asks can help us and they're particularly important for people who are at greater risk of getting severe disease. You know, people age 65 and older, particularly if they're frail people younger than age 65 if they have underlying illnesses, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes is so common and anyone who's immune compromised, they ought to keep wearing the mask, particularly if they go indoors in any kind of crowded environment. So what do we know about this latest variant spreading in India? Of course Macau seen a shutdown near china as well. I think for a lot of people in the business community, I'm doing this show from the floor of the new york stock exchange concern that we could start to see mass lockdowns again. What do we know for certain and how can we prepare? Well, the B. A. Five variant, which is out here in the United States is very contagious but it's not more serious. This newer variant that just has cropped up, We're learning more about it but it looks to be as contagious as the others. We don't think it's more severe. So let's hold on, get ourselves vaccinated and prepare ourselves. All right, we got to leave it there, Dr William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Medical Center. A doctor. Thank you so much