President Joe Biden is facing criticism for continuing to wear a mask at all times despite being fully vaccinated - as a smiling Queen Eli...
President Joe Biden is facing criticism for continuing to wear a mask at all times despite being fully vaccinated - as a smiling Queen Elizabeth stepped out without one yesterday for her first public engagement since receiving her vaccine.
Biden has been fully vaccinated for more than two months after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on January 11. People are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second vaccine shot, according to the CDC.
Biden has continued to wear his mask for various photo opportunities since being fully vaccinated. On many occasions he is joined by Vice President Kamala Harris who is also fully vaccinated.
As recently as yesterday, the 78-year-old President wore a mask as he boarded Air Force One by himself to travel to Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Britain's Queen Elizabeth stepped out without wearing a mask yesterday for her first public engagement in the UK since last October.
The Queen greeted several members of the military - and none of them were wearing masks.
The 94-year-old monarch received her COVID-19 vaccine at the same time Biden did in January.
President Joe Biden is facing criticism for continuing to wear a face mask despite being fully vaccinated. He is pictured above on Wednesday leaving for Pittsburgh
Britain's Queen Elizabeth stepped out without wearing a mask on Wednesday for her first public engagement in the UK since last December. The 94-year-old monarch received her COVID-19 vaccine at the same time Biden did in January
The current CDC guidance on mask wearing, which was updated just last week, indicates that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear a mask or social distance if they are gathering with other fully vaccinated people.
It is understood that many with close proximity to Biden have already been vaccinated.
The guidance does, however, say that fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and stay six feet apart in public until more is known about whether those who are vaccinated can spread COVID-19.
Under an executive order signed by Biden when he first took office, masks are mandatory in federal buildings, which includes the White House. It explains why Biden continues to wear a mask while in the Oval Office and on the grounds.
The White House did not respond to questions from DailyMail.com about why Biden continues to wear a mask in certain situations given the current CDC guidance.
Biden has previously said he wears a mask to be a role model to Americans.
Experts, including Biden's medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci, have previously indicated that mask wearing could continue until late this year.
But given the speed of vaccine distribution in the US, which is currently just under 3 million per day, it is not clear if that will change - especially given the current CDC guidance on vaccinated people not needing to wear masks around others who have also received their shots.
The White House also did not offer a time frame for when the guidance might change given Biden's promise this week that 90 percent of Americans will be eligible for the vaccine by mid-April.
Biden has been fully vaccinated for more than two months after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on January 11. People are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second vaccine shot, according to the CDC
To date, the US has given one or more vaccine dose to nearly 30 percent of Americans and more than 16 percent of people are fully vaccinated.
Biden's own CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky revealed earlier this week that people who have received the vaccine don't appear to be able to spread COVID-19 to others.
'Vaccinated people do not carry the virus, don't get sick, and that is not just in the clinical trials but it's also in real world data,' Walensky told MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show.
The data she referenced came from a CDC study released on Monday involving just under 4,000 health care workers and first responders.
Among the fully vaccinated people in the study, only three people got COVID-19. It is expected that some people will still test positive for the virus even after being vaccinated. There were 161 COVID-19 cases among those who weren't vaccinated in the study.
Based on those results, the CDC concluded that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90 percent effective at preventing infection - including asymptomatic cases.
Despite the promising results of the CDC study, it was revealed on Thursday morning that the Biden administration is launching a $500,000 contest to improve face masks.
The contest, called the Mask Innovation Challenge, aims to find solutions to fogged glasses or irritated skin.
Those who enter have until April 21 to submit their ideas.
Elsewhere in Walensky's interview, she said that officials were encouraging Americans to continue wearing masks 'for just a bit longer'.
Biden has continued to wear his mask for photo opportunities in the Oval Office and White House. On many occasions he is joined by Vice President Kamala Harris who is also fully vaccinated. They are pictured above on Tuesday in the Oval Office. Under an executive order signed by Biden when he first took office, masks are mandatory in federal buildings, which includes the White House.
The current CDC guidance does says that fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and stay six feet apart in public until more is known about whether those who are vaccinated can spread COVID-19
Many states - including Texas - have dropped mask mandates all together in recent weeks.
Fauci warned last month it was 'risky business' to end mask mandates before the majority of people were vaccinated.
Given the current CDC guidance and the latest study referenced by Dr Walensky, many Americans have started to question why Biden - and the Vice President - continue to wear masks in some settings even though they have been vaccinated.
Fox News' Tucker Carlson dedicated a portion of his show on Wednesday night to the issue, questioning why Americans couldn't live their lives normally once vaccinated.
'Why are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris still wearing their obedience masks everywhere they go? They've been vaccinated. So has everyone around them. Why the masks? Why the restrictions? What's going on here? We know for certain it's not science. According to the CDC, once you're vaccinated, you don't need a mask anymore,' he said.
Carlson went on to reference Dr Walensky's comments about the recent CDC study.
'Well, we hope vaccinated people don't carry the virus. Otherwise, why are we getting all these vaccines? Turns out the 'real-world data' confirms common sense. Once you get the vaccine, you don't need a mask. That's a Biden employee. So, why is everyone still wearing them? Why are people with vaccinations walking alone outside with masks on? Why are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris wearing masks?'
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