In her new position as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, the former North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said she intends to rebuild trust in the public.
However, medical professionals in the state—in recalling her actions during the pandemic—say that won’t happen.
In an interview with NPR, Dr. Cohen said, “Trust is a critical foundation for a healthy society. Trust in institutions, such as government, or media, or business, has been eroding in recent years. This lack of trust has led to polarization, to division.”
Dr. Cohen outlined three steps to mend the relationship between the CDC and the public, the first being transparency.
“We’re having clear communications that are simple and accurate, that folks can understand, that they know that there are common sense solutions for them to protect their health,” Dr. Cohen said. “And the second is making sure that we execute or have good performance in what the CDC is meant to do. And so, making sure that we are doing what we say we’re going to do.”
Third, Dr. Cohen said she intends to build relationships and partnerships.
“Protecting the health of this country is a team sport,” she said.
Though NPR carried water for federal agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, it acknowledged—at the very least—CDC’s conflicting information.
“I’m wondering if you think that instead public health officials should sometimes say, ‘We don’t know the answer,’ NPR asked.
Dr. Cohen gave the pat “science-changes” response, stating, “I think it’s important to be clear about what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re working on. Science and data is going to be constantly evolving.”
Her focus this fall, despite the multitude of concerns the COVID-19 vaccines have raised, is not to address those concerns but to continue to promote vaccinations.
Dr. Cohen recently told Spectrum News that the CDC would probably be coming out with guidance in the fall for annual COVID-19 boosters.
