the first drawing for the state’s vax millions giveaway is today. And here to answer your question is Dr privy Mehrotra, an infectious disease specialist at Beth Israel deaconess Medical Center. We’ll find out thursday which massachusetts residents won a million dollars or a college scholarship. Both are big prizes. But what’s been the payout for the state’s Covid vaccine campaign and are more people getting shots. Thanks so much for having me. Those are big prizes and congratulations to whoever receives that scholarship. Fortunately across massachusetts, we are continuing to see a steady rise in vaccination rates, which is great news. So today the american Medical Association, the american nurses association and 55 other groups said they support mandatory Covid vaccines for all us healthcare workers. And then a couple of hours ago just this afternoon, the V. A. Became the first federal agency to require shots for its medical employees who work with patients. So what’s your reaction to these announcements? Do you think they might get any pushback from your colleagues And could this be the beginning of may be some more private employers requiring vaccines? I welcome these announcements really is a show of solidarity for all vaccination efforts. COVID-19 vaccines decrease transmission and they save lives. And while some healthcare workers might have concerns about mandates, we really welcome that dialogue about those concerns in an effort to find common ground and DR Provincetown now requires people to wear face masks indoors following a sharp rise in covid cases since the july 4th holiday. Now, do you agree with that step? And would you recommend taking other ones? I do. I think it is absolutely an evidence based prevention and control measure. That makes sense in the context of an ongoing outbreak and what is an unfolding investigation. I would also recommend that individuals who are symptomatic should seek testing regardless of their vaccination status. So, the state has linked that outbreak squarely back to the delta vary. And so what does that tell you about our vulnerability even vaccinated people to that virus? Right now We know that the delta variant is more transmissible than the original COVID-19 stream and that individuals infected with the delta variant tend to have more virus in their respiratory tract. We also know that the total number of cases among vaccinated individuals in massachusetts remains low. And so what that tells us is that vaccination really remains the best protection even with the delta variant. Alright doctor Pretty Mehrotra, infectious disease specialist at Beth Israel deaconess Medical Center. Thanks for your time on this monday. Thank you. Yeah.
BEN: THE FIRST DRAWING FOR THE STATE’S VAXMILLIONS GIVEAWAY IS TODAY. SHAYNA: HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. PREETI MEHROTRA, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER. WE’LL FIND OUT THURSDAY WHICH MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS WON $1 MILLION OR A COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP. THOSE ARE GBI PRIZES, BUT WHAT’S BEEN THE PAY-OUT FOR THE STATE’S COVID VACCINATION CAMPAIGN? ARE MORE PEOPLE GETTING SHOTS? >> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. THOSE E ARBIG PRIZ.ES CONGRATULATIONS TO WHOEVER RECEIVES THE SCHOLARSHIP. ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS, WE ARE SEEING A STEADY RISE IN VACCINATION RATES WHICH IS GOOD NEWS. BEN: TODAY, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION, AND 55 OTHER GROUPS SAID THEY SUPPORT MANDATING VACCINATIONSOR F ALL U.S. HEALTH CARE WORKERS. A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, THE V.A. BECAME THE FIRST FEDERAL AGENCY TO REQUIRE COVID SHOTS FOR MEDICAL EMPLOYEES WHO WORK WITH PATIENTS. WH AT’S YOUR REACTION TO THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS? DO YOU THINK THEY’LL GET SOME PUSH-BACK FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES? COULD THIS BE THE BEGINNING OF MORE PRIVATE EMPLOYERS REQUIRING VACCINES? WHAT’S I WELCOME THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS AS AHO SW OF SOLIDARITY FOR ALL VACCINATION EFFORTS. VIDCO VACCINES REDUCE TRANSMISSION AND SAVE LIVES. WHILE HEALTH CARE WORKERS MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT MANDATES, WE WELCOME DIALOGUE ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS AND AN EFFORT TO FIND COMMON GROUND. SHAYNA: PROVINCETOWN NOW REQUIRES PEOPLE TO WEAR FACE MASKS INDOORS, FOLLOWING A SHARP RISE IN COVID CASES SINCE THE JULY 4 HOLIDAY. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT STEP, AND WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TAKING OTHER ON?ES >> I DO. I THINK IT IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED CONTROL MEASURE THAT MAKES SSEEN IN AN ONINGOG OUTBREAK AN UNFOLDING INVESTIGATION. I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SYMPTATOMIC SHOULD SK EETESTING REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS. BEN:HE T STATE HAS LINKED THE OUTBREAK TO THE DELTA VARIANT. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT OUR VULNERABITILY TO THE VIRUS RIGHT NOW? >> WE KNOW THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN THE ORIGINAL STRAIN. INDIVIDUALS INSPECTED WITH THE DELTA VARIANT TEND TO HAVE MORE VISRU IN THE RESPIRATORY TRACT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASSE AMONG VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS IN MASSACHUSETTS REMAINS LOW. THAT TELLS US VACCINATION REMAINS THE BTES PROTECTION, EVEN WITH THE DELTA VARIANT. BEN: DR. PREETI MEHROTRA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDI

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Video: Major health care associations showing solidarity about COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Updated: 7:13 PM EDT Jul 26, 2021

Dr. Preeti Mehrotra, of Beth Israel, tells NewsCenter 5 that she welcomes the announcements and says vaccines remain the best protection against the delta variant.

BOSTON —

Dr. Preeti Mehrotra, of Beth Israel, tells NewsCenter 5 that she welcomes the announcements and says vaccines remain the best protection against the delta variant.

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