Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Global – 228,800,000/4,700,000; USA – 42,200,000/675,100 Discussions continue to go on trying to align the FDA and CDC. Concern is mostly centered around the risk of myocarditis in younger individuals . We finally got the FDA agreed to agree that their recommendation or authorization would be four people greater than 65 and then 18 to 64 for people at risk for severe disease due to underlying conditions and 18 to 64 for people at occupational or institutional risk with the statement that 18 to 30 would be a permissive recommendation meaning that they should consult their physician. This is something that the CDC Advisory Board (ACIP) could probably live with . However, we shall see what happens tomorrow and in subsequent days. Jeff has been on the phone with me multiple times per day asking me to continue to mentor Rochelle such that the CDC /ACIP does not veer too far off the FDA recommendations and our ultimate intent. She is really very good and I love her but she just does not have enough experience to steer CDC and the direction that we all feel let you go. I must make a point that over the last few weeks more intensively over the last few days I have been stressed beyond the limit particularly compounded by the dark web far right maniacs continuing to attack me in the area of gain of function research, accusations of lying to the Congress under oath, and a variety of other conspiratorial accusations. Tonight I went to a reception at the temporary home of the British ambassador to the United states on 2934 Edgevale terracet, northwest. it was an honor of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK and foreign minister Elizabeth Truss. It was a great reception and I got the opportunity to chat with the Prime Minister who clearly knew who I was and was very complimentary to the way I would have been leading the COVID-19 response effort in the United states we chatted for a bit and I told him how pleased I was with the relationship that we had developed with his medical people Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance with whom I have a zoom call about every two to three weeks. The next couple of days I'm going to be interesting to see how the situation rolls out with the booster plan