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Ask The Doctors: Pfizer Is Fully Approved, What's Next In Pandemic?

21:49
In this July 2020 photo, signs are posted around the business district of Provincetown reminding people to wear a mask in public to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
In this July 2020 photo, signs are posted around the business district of Provincetown reminding people to wear a mask in public to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

On Tuesday, the state education board gave the authority to state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley to impose a universal mask mandate in Massachusetts schools through at least October 1.

It's anticipated that Riley will officially issue the mandate sometime this week, a change from Governor Baker's earlier policy of leaving that decision to individual districts.

This comes as the two-dose Pfizer vaccine got full FDA approval for people age 16 and up on Monday, and as COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide are nearing a four-month high - 139-people of those patients are in intensive care — the highest number in more than three months. The positive test rate is slightly down, at 2.6%.

We take listener calls with Dr. Cassandra Pierre, acting hospital epidemiologist and an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center, and Dr. Shira Doron, infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center.

This segment aired on August 24, 2021.

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Jamie Bologna Senior Producer/Director, Radio Boston

Jamie Bologna was senior producer and director of Radio Boston.

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Tiziana Dearing Host, Morning Edition

Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR's Morning Edition.

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