CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Interview

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BROWN: As the highly contagious delta variant fuels a rise in hospitalizations and a 65 percent jump in new COVID cases, mostly among the unvaccinated, it's also fueling an about-face. Many GOP leaders are suddenly speaking up forcefully in support of the vaccine. The Republican governors of Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia and Florida are all stressing the need for more vaccinations but stopping short of stricter COVID protocols.

Well, one GOP lawmakers has been a vaccine chair leader all along. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa joins me now. She is a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus and was Director of the Iowa state health department. So she is certainly an authority on this matter, a politician, also a doctor.

And let start Congresswoman, put your doctor hat on for a moment. Given the rise in cases and hospitalizations, would you support new mask mandates for vaccinated Americans or a vaccine mandate for federal employees?

REP. MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS (R-IA): Well, I think, first and foremost, that people need to be aware there's vaccines available where they're available, how they can get them, and we need to make sure that they're just not in certain clinics but in all doctor's offices, hospitals, pharmacies and settings where they can be readily accessible and available. At this point in time there is a rise in cases but we're not to the level we were before. And if we can remember back, I may seem a long time that back to over to a little over a year ago when we started having people shelter at home and lockdowns and requirement for masks and social distancing, it was to reduce and prevent a surge and overwhelming our hospital capabilities. So we're not at that level yet. We certainly have learned how to better treat people with COVID-19, how to reduce hospitalizations, how to promote better health in our members.

[18:30:08]

And we've also learned risk factors which we did not have at the beginning of this pandemic. So at this point in time I would continue to encourage people to get vaccinated and I would be very honest and forthright with them about what risks are available, if there is information they have, answer their questions.

I think shaming people and blaming and denigrating them, ridiculing them for not having yet been vaccinated does little to help promote people to get vaccinated so you're right, I take off my congressperson hat and I put on my doctor's hat, which is why back in March I went to all 24 counties in my district attending vaccination clinics and administering vaccines to people.

BROWN: So -- and I see what you're saying that the numbers, although they have risen, they're not as bad as they were earlier in the pandemic when hospitals were just overwhelmed with patients. That is happening at certainly fewer hospitals in this country right now. But just to go back, do you support new mask mandates for vaccinated Americans or a vaccine mandate? Or do you believe it should still be optional?

MILLER-MEEKS: So you said do I support a mask mandate for vaccinated Americans, no. I think if people are fully vaccinated, so they have either both shots of Pfizer or Moderna, or a single shot of J&J, so if they're fully vaccinated, no, I do not think that there should be a mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals.

But I do think if people are concerned or if they have medical risk factors, that put them at greater risk of they have a weakened immune system, through their own personal health risk factors, medical risk factors, they may want to wear a mask.

There is some breakthrough. There are individuals who are vaccinated who have been double vaccinated who do contract COVID-19, the Delta variant. But the breakthrough is extremely small. So the last study I read was about 0.05 percent. So you could get COVID if you're fully vaccinated, but the risk is extremely low. So, no, I would not recommend or suggest a mask mandate for those people who are fully vaccinated.

BROWN: And same for vaccine mandate for federal employees? Just want to be clear on that.

MILLER-MEEKS: I'm not for vaccine mandates. And the reason is that this is an injectable substance. It's a medicine that we are putting into people's bodies. I think if you can be honest and forthright with people let them know to check with their doctor if they have concerns. Try to get information, you know, clear guidance and information from the CDC would be tremendously helpful.

And that includes adverse reactions and includes risks, which we still don't have a good risk-benefit analysis from the CDC regarding the vaccines, but overall highly effective, very safe, decades of research went into the making of these vaccines even if the vaccine came to the public very rapidly.

And I think those things are very important for people to know. Also when you look around the world at the numbers of people that have been vaccinated, the numbers of people that have been vaccinated in the United States, you can look at the very low risk of side effects, and compared to the risk of your side effects if you get COVID-19, and this includes long-term risks.

So I know young people who have contracted COVID-19 and for six to nine months have loss of smell, taste, have had low grade headaches, and some have had fatigue greater than their, you know, usual fatigue that they may have.

So there are long-term side effects from COVID-19. Side effects from the vaccine much less. So it's safe, it's effective, and I certainly would continue to encourage people if they have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated. But to talk with their doctor, talk to someone who they have a trusting relationship with in the medical field where they can have their questions answered about being vaccinated.

BROWN: I want to get to the CNN report from this past week that shows nearly half of House Republicans refused to share their vaccination status. Why do you think so many members of your party are not saying if they're vaccinated or vocally encouraging the vaccines?

MILLER-MEEKS: Well, I can't answer for my colleagues why they don't want to address their vaccine status. But what I can say is that when you look at who's more persuasive in getting people to get vaccinated, is it an elected official, regardless of what level or tier, or is it someone with medical experience? So people trust their doctor or nurse practitioner or P.A., someone in their family with medical experience, more than they would a legislator.

So I think what's even more important is that we in the medical community continue to make ourselves available, answer questions, you know, even if it's on a virtual format or if it's a radio talk show, that we make ourselves available to be able to answer questions to people, and let them know that certainly they can contact their provider to get any questions answered about if they have vaccine hesitancy, the risks, the side effects. There is some information that is erroneous, and those errors can be helped corrected, if they contact their provider.

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So I think it's most important that we in the medical community make people aware that we're available to them. We want to be there for them. We're not going to shame them, we're not going to blame them, we're not going to denigrate them, but we want to be able to answer questions for them. If there are any misconceptions they may have and also reassure them about the safety of the vaccine.

There are people who are genuinely concerned that this is -- you know, it's medical, something medically drug that you would inject into your body and it only has Emergency Use Authorization. It doesn't have full authorization from the CDC.

And myself and other members of the Doc Caucus have actually sent letters asking in support of getting full authorization given the numbers of vaccines that have been given here in the United States and also around the world to use that real world evidence.

BROWN: And really quickly before we wrap up as we run out of time, I want to talk about the political polarization. The U.S. versus Canada. You're seeing much higher rates of conservatives in Canada getting vaccinated versus right here in the United States. Last night at a rally former president Trump told his supporters he recommended the vaccine, but then he said, quote, "I also believe in your freedoms." Would you like to see him do more?

MILLER-MEEKS: Well, you know, it's interesting you say that because early on when President Biden came into office, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked a question about, should President Trump get credit for the vaccine development coming to the market in nine months.

And she said no. This was a tremendous opportunity for bipartisanship and putting the nation above political differences for them to say yes, and we encourage President Trump to come help us to encourage people to get vaccinated.

BROWN: But why isn't he? And --

MILLER-MEEKS: So I'd like to see all of us --

BROWN: I mean, the Biden administration has --

MILLER-MEEKS: -- do more in order to get people vaccinated. We know that it's a way that we can go through this pandemic --

BROWN: Let me just jump in really quick.

MILLER-MEEKS: All of us have suffered through it.

BROWN: Biden himself has said -- has given Trump credit when he was getting vaccinated. Of course the criticism has been, you know, it wasn't enough, he hasn't said enough, he hasn't been forward enough. But what about Trump? Would you like to see him be out there more promoting the vaccine that he helped with under Operation Warp Speed?

MILLER-MEEKS: I think certainly any of us who are in a position to be able to influence people and to make a message that the vaccine is safe, that it's effective, there were no safety shortcuts in getting this vaccine to the public, that it was built upon decades of research and so far has a very good safety protocol, and that it's very effective and also effective against the Delta variant. I think that's a message that we can get out to people, continue to encourage people, and then be available to answer their questions.

BROWN: OK. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, thank you very much for joining us.

MILLER-MEEKS: Thank you so much and have a good evening, Pamela.

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