Dr. Tom Kenyon Urges Vaccine Equity, Public Health Precautions On COVID-19 Pandemic One-Year Anniversary

Bethesda, MD (March 11, 2021) — One year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic emergency. Dr. Tom Kenyon, Chief Health Officer at Project HOPE and 21-year CDC veteran, issued the following statement:

 “At this one-year landmark in the pandemic, our daily question must be: How can we save as many lives as possible? While vaccines are delivering protection to some, and downward infection rates are encouraging, the fact is: We’re not out of emergency mode.

“Plateauing at current levels is dangerous. If we let up on masking and social distancing, we know what will happen. We’ve seen it before — thousands more people will get sick. Thousands more loved ones will die. What happens next is humanity’s choice.

“Vaccine delivery must be equal parts fast and equitable. It must happen holistically, as a global community, at every local level. No one is safe until everyone is safe from COVID-19. The people hit hardest by the pandemic — and the shadow pandemics it has caused — should be at the center of our massive global mitigation work, not left out of it. Women, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people of color and low-income communities must be equals in health care access.

“Lessons the past year has taught are catastrophic beyond comprehension. Health care workers have experienced unthinkable suffering. The toll may bring a lifetime of mental health battles and nightmare memories. The best way to thank health workers is to support them. We need to guarantee their protection now and throughout their careers. People can stop the continuation of the coronavirus tragedy. But we must put science and lives first. When science is sidelined, we lose some of our greatest power and potential. We must embrace, not ignore, public health protections. And we must hold on just awhile longer until this pandemic comes to an end.”

About Project HOPE 
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that is committed to placing power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Read more at ProjectHOPE.org.

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