Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams Slams CDC Mask Guidelines Amid Delta Variant Concerns

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams does not approve of the new relaxed mask guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Adams took to Twitter on Saturday to address the CDC decision to lift the mask restrictions for vaccinated individuals amid concerns the Delta variant will lead to a rise of COVID-19 cases.

“Instead of vax it OR mask it, the emerging data suggests CDC should be advising to vax it AND mask it in areas with [rising] cases and positivity- until we see numbers going back down again. CDC was well intended, but the message was misinterpreted, premature, & wrong. Let’s fix it,” he tweeted.

Adams also reflected on how he and Dr. Anthony Fauci made mistakes with their past mask recommendations.

“Last year Tony Fauci and I famously, prematurely, & wrongly advised against masks. I felt it was the best call at the time, but now regret it. I’m worried the CDC also made a similarly premature, misinterpreted, yet still harmful call on masking in the face of delta variant,” he tweeted.

Adams insisted this is the time to learn from previous errors and use them to move forward. “The reaction to saying both my (in past) and CDC’s (now) messaging was wrong, is exactly why people & institutions are so loathe to admit being wrong,” he wrote.

“Science & scientists (& people) are often wrong. You learn & you get better. Science isn’t a fixed endpoint - it’s a journey.”

Adams’ comments come after the current Surgeon General Vivek Murthy defended the CDC following criticism over the new relaxed mask mandates.

“I think the CDC’s guidance around masks was intended actually to give flexibility to individuals and to localities, recognizing that in this next phase of the pandemic, as we move into more of a local and regional response based on people’s vaccination rates and communities, that that guidance around what to do with mitigation measures like masks would also be tailored locally,” he said.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County has reinstated its mask order requiring all residents to wear face coverings in indoor public settings, including gyms, theaters, and offices. However, children two years old and younger are exempt from the mask mandate.

The new order went into effect at midnight on Sunday amid rising cases of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people.