F.D. Flam, Columnist

When Should You Wear a Mask? The CDC Botched Its Answer

Scientists should stick to science and leave social engineering alone.

Who wore it best?

Photographer: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
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The CDC announcement that vaccinated people can now go unmasked outdoors was bizarre and confusing. Walking and jogging unmasked were already low-risk activities — and something a lot of people, vaccinated or not, have been doing anyway. Like other public health recommendations and rules, it was issued without a clear rationale or reference to new data.

Some experts took to Twitter to suggest the new guidelines were a form of social engineering — to encourage people to get the vaccine by offering them a reward.