Fauver noted this is a crucial moment for the country: Vaccinations are ramping up while variants continue to spread across the country. He said that includes in Texas, where the CDC has tracked the spread of two mutated variants of the virus, one of which Fauver said is "circulating at a really high level."
"Pulling back now is premature," he added. "It's dangerous and will result in more deaths."
The message was echoed at the White House Wednesday by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "I do think that the next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes," she said. "As we scale up vaccination we really do need to decrease the amount of virus that is circulating."
Rubin agreed, adding that the mix of vaccinations and more variants emerging is a fearful combination, especially if states are easing restrictions on precautions such as masks. As more people are vaccinated, the virus is likely to continue mutating so it can continue spreading, he said.
"The virus is changing a little bit all the time," he said. "And when it starts encountering people who have immunity, then, one worries that it's going to accumulate mutations that let it get around immunity."
The notion of easing precautions "just feels like so the wrong time," he said, and puts the rest of the country at risk for continued spread, though he noted many are feeling ready after seeing cases drop and vaccinations continue.
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