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Psaki mocks ‘world-renowned business, travel, and health expert’ Ted Cruz for claiming that vaccine mandates contributed to Southwest Airlines delays

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks at the daily briefing at the White House on October 12, 2021.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks at the daily briefing at the White House on October 12, 2021.

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  • Jen Psaki dismissed claims that vaccine mandates are negatively impacting businesses.
  • Psaki called Cruz a “world-renowned business, travel and health expert” during her briefing.
  • Cruz blamed Southwest Airlines’ flight cancellations on vaccine mandates, which the airline denied.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday dismissed recent GOP claims that vaccine requirements are negatively impacting companies, a notion that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz pushed over the weekend.

“Joe Biden’s illegal vaccine mandate at work! Suddenly, we’re short on pilots & air traffic controllers. #ThanksJoe,” Cruz tweeted on Sunday in response to a news report that Southwest Airlines canceled over 1,800 flights.

That report quoted a Southwest spokesperson saying that the airline’s newly imposed vaccine mandate on its employees was not the cause of the flight cancellations. “It’s inaccurate,” the spokesperson told CNBC. “There’s a lot of unfounded rumor and speculation circulating.” Instead, the airline said severe weather problems and air traffic control issues are mainly to blame.

Yet Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich brought up the GOP talking point during Tuesday’s press briefing, asking Psaki: “What’s the White House response to those who say vaccine mandates have reduced the workforce and contributed to this problem?”

Psaki began her reply by referencing Cruz’s comments: “Well I know world-renowned business, travel and health expert Sen. Ted Cruz has made that point. But I wouldn’t say that is widely acknowledged or echoed by business leaders who have implemented these mandates.”

“It doesn’t mean this isn’t hard and challenging – of course it is. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic,” she continued. “But ultimately, the job of the president of the United States is to lead, is to follow the advice of health experts, is to ensure that he is protecting the lives of people across the country.”

Psaki also directly mentioned the “hubub” over the weekend about Southwest Airlines, adding that “we now know that some of those claims were absolutely false, and actually the issues were completely unrelated to vaccine mandates.”

Cruz later responded on Twitter to a video of Psaki’s comments, saying the White House was “launching snarky insults” at him.

He went on to add that he spoke with a “credible and senior source in aviation” who said there was a “sick out” of air traffic controllers protesting vaccine mandates.

Cruz’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Several other Republicans who are opposed to federal vaccine mandates, including Reps. Chip Roy, Andy Biggs, and Lauren Boebert, also spread the claims on Twitter.

Besides Southwest Airlines, the pilots’ labor union also denied the rumors coming from conservative circles, saying on Saturday that “our Pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions.”

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White House advisor Andy Slavitt revealed his son is battling long COVID, as he warned young people to take the virus seriously

Andy Slavitt

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  • White House advisor Andy Slavitt said Tuesday that his son has long COVID-19 symptoms six months after recovering.
  • Researchers estimate that 10% of COVID-19 survivors have long-term symptoms.
  • Experts say this is a key reason why young people should get vaccinated.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Andy Slavitt, a top White House healthcare advisor, told a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday that his son is suffering from numerous long COVID symptoms.

“I want to reveal something personal, with permission, that underscores their importance. Last fall, one of my sons contracted COVID-19. Unfortunately, he is one of the many Americans battling long-term symptoms,” Slavitt said at the briefing.

Although Slavitt said his son was “in the prime of his life” when infected, he’s suffering from symptoms six months later. “He still suffers from tachycardia [a fast heart rate], shortness of breath, and ongoing and frequent flu-like symptoms. His hands are cold to the touch.”

Researchers estimate that 10% of COVID-19 survivors have post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, otherwise known as long COVID. These patients experience symptoms like fatigue, difficulty thinking, loss of taste or smell, or depression or anxiety, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Slavitt urged young people to get vaccinated

Throughout the pandemic, young people haven’t been as hard-hit by the virus as adults, who have been hospitalized and died at much higher rates, according to the CDC.

However, they play a role in transmitting COVID-19, especially if they have an asymptomatic infection. And even after a mild case, they are not immune to suffering long-term symptoms, like Slavitt’s son.

Slavitt shared his son’s story to encourage young people to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I know it’s easy when you’re young to imagine that these things don’t affect you. A vaccine may feel unnecessary. You feel healthy. You know people who have had COVID and are doing all right,” Slavitt said.

Dr. Syra Madad, an infectious disease epidemiologist at NYC Health + Hospitals, previously told Insider there’s still a lot of unknowns about how COVID-19 affects us long-term.

“There’s an impact of long COVID that we are still understanding. So don’t put yourself in that situation,” Madad said, recommending vaccinations to avoid possible long-hauler effects from the virus.

Read the original article on Business Insider