MAYOR SCOTT MATHESON GOES TO WASHINGTON

MAYOR MATHESON GOES TO WASHINGTON

STORY BY JOHN RIDDLE

Mayor Scott James Matheson Is One of Only Two Georgians Who Attended The “Operation Warp Speed Summit” at The White House

In January of 2020, Scott James Matheson was settling into his new role as Mayor of Valdosta. No doubt looking forward to his first year in office. Little did he know how challenging 2020 would turn out to be and how it would change people's lives all over the world. Not the type of year any of us wanted—especially those in public office who were thrust into trying to help their communities navigate through the responses to a global pandemic.

The winter of 2020 was a long one, with most people spent quarantining at home for weeks on end. Spring brought some relief. By summer, there was talk of a vaccine that might be available by year's end. "Operation Warp Speed" was the federal government's herculean effort to both develop a vaccine and distribute it as quickly as humanly possible. Once the vaccine was developed, The White House assembled strategic leaders from around the country to participate in the "Operation Warp Speed Summit." Held at the White House complex in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the summit's purpose was to create a better understanding of how the vaccine was developed and build confidence in its effectiveness.

Participants heard from the key leaders managing the effort. President Trump kicked off the summit. Other speakers included: Vice President Pence, who oversaw the entire effort, Alex Azar, the architect of “Operation Warp Speed,” General Perna, who was managing the distribution plan, Jerome Adams, the US Surgeon General, five governors, and the CEO's of Moderna, Pfizer, UPS, FedEx, CVS, and Walgreens. participants on the entire plan for the final development and distribution of the vaccine. “We got a really good working knowledge of how the vaccine was developed so rapidly. They didn’t have to ‘reinvent the wheel’, Matheson said. “We learned that work on the coronavirus has been going on for decades. The scientists just had to map the last 10% of the specific path to Covid-19.”

That is essential information for those who think they might not trust the vaccine. The emphasis was on the fact that having a vaccine is one thing, but getting people vaccinated is another. The Surgeon General was instrumental in sharing the information that will help build confidence in the vaccine.

“One of the people I spent the most time with was Jerome Adams, the Surgeon General. He was helping with messaging on how to explain

and convince citizens about the effectiveness of the vaccine,” Mayor Matheson explained. "There is a lot of fear and uncertainty in the vaccine. But we learned that the messenger RNA used in the vaccine has been around for 50 years and is nothing new. It doesn't alter the DNA; it only delivers messages to your DNA."

The CDC’s website provides very good information about how RNA (mRNA) interacts with our DNA to help develop antibodies, which protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies. (cdc.gov/coronavirus - A Closer Look at How COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work)

Matheson, who has visited The White House once before as mayor for an Opportunity Zones and Revitalization Conference, says this summit felt like being a part of history. "What was accomplished to develop the vaccine was monumental. But the distribution of the vaccine to millions of Americans and 1.5 billion worldwide is even more monumental,” he said. “By the time Trump left office, they were just shy of 1 million doses a day. Now, President Biden has stated that they hope to vaccinate up to 1.5 million people daily to get us to herd immunity.”

Locally, Matheson says he sees real progress in the number of vaccines being given in Valdosta. He explained that South Georgia Medical Center is delivering about 250 doses daily. The Department of Public Health is immunizing about 300 people daily. Barnes Health Care, Publix, and some private physicians are joining the effort, he said. He is hopeful that, "…at this pace, we may be at 75% – 80% of our population receiving the vaccine in 150 days or so.”

Matheson feels honored to have been a part of this important summit. He was one of only two people from Georgia to attend and only about 20 people from around the country. He feels that he gained invaluable knowledge of how to help the Valdosta community understand and accept the vaccine. A crucial step in getting the population to the 75% vaccination rate, the minimum level for "herd immunity."

Scott James had no idea what he was walking into when he was sworn in as Mayor of Valdosta on January 9, 2020. But he is thankful for a community that has banded together to fight an invisible foe that has taken too much from too many. He is grateful for the opportunity to help Valdosta win this fight. Like the rest of us, though, he is anxious for a return to normalcy. He is also excited about focusing on other aspects of the community that need attention to help ensure Valdosta remains “a city without limits.”

(Left top) Army General Gustave F. Perna

(Left Middle) Mayor Matheson with then U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

(Below) William Crozer, then Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at The White House, with Mayor Matheson. Corzer, from Thomasville, along with John Eunice, from Valdosta, who worked in US Senator David Perdue’s office, suggested inviting Scott James to the summit.