captioning sponsored by cbs >> dickerson: i'm john dickerson in washington, and this week on "face the nation": warning signs about new coronavirus cases, extreme weather affecting tens of millions, and the threat to russia, following the latest cyber attack. just one week after america declared its independence from covid, there is even more scientific evidence that freedom from vaccination comes with a price. >> the sad reality is that despite our progress, we're still losing people to this virus, which is especially tragic given at this point it is unnecessary and preventable. virtually all covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the united states are now occurring among unvaccinated

individuals. >> dickerson: we'll check in with dr. anthony fauci and dr. scott gottlieb. and then june went down in the record books as the hottest month of june ever in the u.s. is july shaping up to be even hotter? we'll take a look at what is causing this extreme weather. plus, president biden puts pressure on russian president vladimir putin after u.s. te intelligence links russian hackers. >> you said three weeks ago there would be consequences. will there be, sir? >> biden: yes. >> dickerson: we'll talk with jeh johnson about what those consequences could be. and as americans hit the road and the skies for summer travel, we'll talk with united airlines c.e.o. scott kirby about the industry's recovery. then, after two decades, the u.s. military presence in afghanistan is nearing its end. we'll have a report from

kabul. and finally, a look to the heavens, where billionaires are engaged in a space race. it is all just ahead on "face the nation." ♪ ♪ >> dickerson: good morning. and welcome to "face the nation." more than 151 million american adults are fully vaccinated. but just under a third american adults have not had even a single shot, which is worrisome to health officials. the delta variant makes up more than half of all of the new cases. and there is now confusion over the role of the booster shot. we begin with dr. anthony fauci. >> doctor: good morning, john. >> dickerson: let's talk about the delta variant. it seems to make the case for vaccination mor affective, with those that

are unvaccinated the most getting infected. is it people delivering the message to those who are unvaccinated that that needs to change? >> doctor: maybe all of the above. it is almost inexplicable why people, when they see the data in front of them, that they don't get vaccinated. we have a delta variant that you mentioned, john, that is easily transmissible, much more easily and readily and efficiently from person to person than the other viruses, the other variants, that we've dealt with. that's the first thing. the second thing, the data that is hitting you right between the eyes, is that 99.5% of all the deaths to covid-19 are in unvaccinated people. so you're talking about something that is life-saving. so the idea of why some people, for whatever reasons -- and we know some of them are

ideological, we know when you look geographically in the situations where you have undervaccinated states, where you have 30% or less of the people vaccinated -- we've really got to get beyond that, and we've got to put those kinds of differences aside and say, this is a public health issue. when you hear people at rallies talking, don't get vaccinated, don't get vaccinated, john, it doesn't make any sense, because we're talking about a public health issue that is life-saving for you, your family, as well as your community. so you're right, we're in a very difficult position. we have more vaccines in this country than we know what to do with. everybody and anybody can get vaccinated. and we have people throughout the world who would do anything to get vaccinated because they appreciate the importance of safeguarding their health. so it is a very, very frustrating situation. >> dickerson: i want to get to the science of the dealt variant in a minute,

but let's stay on this question for a moment. you say the facts are hitting people between the eyes. is it possible people are a little scared and nervous, and they don't hear evidence. what they hear is, you're a dummy for not getting this. essentially, people feel insulted when the evidence is presented that it should be clearly obvious to any normal person, and all that does is put them back in their corner? >> doctor: you have a point there. john, that's the reason why what is going on is getting trusted messages. not government officials like myself, but trusted messengers in the community to outreach to people. those messengers could be your family doctor, it could be a clergy person, it could be a community leader, it could be a sports figure. it could be the people who are really trusted by the community. so you're absolutely right. telling people you've got to get vaccinated, you've

got to get vaccinated -- i think it is important to point that out. people do need to know, not in a prejorative way, but just look at the data. 99.5% of all of the deaths are among unvaccinated people. so we have vaccines that are highly, highly affective. and what we need to do is to get those trusted messengers, which we're trying to do, to get out into the community and explain to people, you know, in a non-finger-pointing way why it is important to get vaccinated. >> dickerson: the delta variant acts differently, depending on the vaccination. massachusetts has a high vaccination rate, and mississippi has a low one. if the delta variant is the majority variant in the country and it is only going to get worse, tell me how people who live in those two states should think about the delta

variant, given the levels of vaccination in those two places. >> doctor: okay, john, that's a great question and it's a pretty simple answer. the vaccines that we have available to people, for example, that you mentioned in massachusetts and other states, who have a high degree of vaccination, are quite protected against the delta variant. all the data that we have from this country, and from several other countries, not just the united states, shows that the vaccines that we are using right now do very well in protecting against the delta variant, particular protecting you against severe disease that might lead to hospitalization. so for those states that have a very, very low level of vaccination, you're dealing with a virus, the delta variant, that eficnt in seading from person to person. and the numbers don't lie. in those states, where you

have a low degree of vaccination, that's where we're seeing surges of infection, which are followed by surges in hospitalizations, which will ultimately lead to increases in deaths. so it is pretty clear from the data, john, that if you are vaccinated, your risk is extraordinary low. if you're unvaccinated, you have a high risk of this very nasty variant, the delta variant. >> dickerson: let me switch to the question of boosters. pfizer this week said there is evidence that immunity diminishes from the vaccine, and they've called for a booster shot. the c.d.c. and the f.d.a. said in a joint statement: "americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time." any statement that says "at this time" can, of course, change tomorrow. so what is the situation with boosters and the future possibility of needing one? >> doctor: certainly it

is entirely conceivable, maybe likely, that at some time we will need a booster. it may be differentially needed depending on the age of individuals and their underlying conditions. for example, people who have underlying conditions that make them more likely to have a severe outcome. and you're right, john, it could be confusing. when you're talking about an official recommendation from a public health organization, like the c.d.c., or a regulatory agency, like the f.d.a., it will have to be based on solid data from both laboratory and clinical studies. and in realtime, those agencies follow and do studies. we at the n.i.h. are doing a number of studies to determine do we have solid evidence for doing this. right now, what the c.d.c. and the f.d.a. said in a joint statement is that at this time we don't see the need for it.

what the pharmaceutical company, pfizer, did, they did their own study and said, we think you're going to need a booster, so we're preparing the booster. that's fine. we want companies and academic institutions and the government to continue to collect data. so it is really a firm recommendation versus opinion. >> dickerson: some people in nursing homes, vulnerable populations, got their shots many months ago. the clock is ticking. is it going to be possible to begin the possible of preparing for a booster, so if officials decide it is needed, the companies will be in place to give it at the right time, or will the window have closed essentially to give it to people? >> doctor: no -- great question, john. no. the process is going on right now. we, at the n.i.h., are doing a number of studies

looking at the feasibility of boosting, the kinds of boosts you might want to go, what kind of timetable for the boosts. those studies are going on right now. it is really a very good question. it isn't as if we're going to start from square one, if it looks like there are breakthrough infections or the laboratories indicate there is a diminution in immunity. right now we're preparing full throttle for doing boosters if we need them. >> dickerson: dr. anthony fauci, thank you for being with us. we go now to dr. ¿coómo dr. scot gottlieb. good morning, dr. gottlieb. >> doctor: good morning. >> dickerson: let's start with this booster question. what led pfizer to request authorization for a boost? >> it was data coming out of israel that suggested that people who were vaccinated a while ago, particularly older

individuals, might be vulnerable to infection. we see declining efficacy, but it seems to be clustered among people who are older and who were vaccinated a while ago. remember in the united states, we vaccinated some of our most vulnerable citizens at the beginning of the campaign. many nursing home residents were va vaccinated last december. with respect to the boosters, what we're talking about is a third dose of the existing vaccine. and anyone who gets vaccinated right now will not need a booster. if you go out and get vaccinated right now, that vaccine will carry you through the fall and the winter. what we're talking about is people who were vaccinated a while ag ago, and what could be happening is as people's antibodies start to decline because they're further out from their vaccine, the delta variant is sab able to overwhelm the

antibodies. and that's why they're more prone to infection. the vaccines still seem very protective against severe disease. what we're seeing in israel is people becoming mildly infected. but therel there also are some people -- [audio cutting out] >> dickerson: israel has this data because they decided to study it, or they started the process of distributing the vaccines earlier, and therefore they have people in their population who are further along than in their states? >> doctor: both. i mean israel did vaccinate their elderly population early. we did, as well. but they did a very good job of tracking people who have been vaccinated. so it is not a surprise to they might be first to spot these trends. we're a little behind in the united states. the united kingdom has already made a decision they're going to provide boosters for thoseive the thosee

the age of 70. israel says they're give boosters for those with immune situations. that's what pfizer, the company i'm on the board of, is trying to do. we're doing these studies and we'll be submitting that information to f.d.a., asking for authorization should a booster be needed. it will be up to the c.d.c. to make a general recommendation. if we don't get started, we won't have them available should we need them in the fall. i think we've missed the window for providing boosters for the delta variant, which will play in the months of september and maybe into october. but you want to consider boosters for people going forward, particularly the elderly, people in nursing homes, where you want to maintain a sufficiently high level of neutralizing antibodies in their blood, so you protect them from

any infection, even a mild infection, because a vulnerable individual, some people will get in trouble with the virus. >> dickerson: let me ask you on that timing question, dr. anthony fauci seemed to suggest there wasn't a timing issue. if it is just a third shot of what is already on the shelf, why does there have to be a lot of time? why can't somebody make that decision and it is available in the doctor's office? >> doctor: well, pfizer is doing the study right now, looking at a third dose. the data looks very good. they put out some top-lying information about that. you get five times the antibodies from the first dose. the study isn't done. it has to be submitted to the f.d.a. pfizer is going to publish those results for public scrutiny. that is probably a month or two process, going through the f.d.a. process, trying to get an emergency-use authorization to use the vaccine as a third dose. and it needs to go to the

c.d.c., who makes a recommendation on who would get boosted. i would suspect if there is a recommendation on providing boosters, it will be a select population, perhaps people who are older -- it's not going to be a general recommendation fmr the entire public. because for most people, people who are younger, who have intact immune systems, they'll probably have sufficient protection from their original vaccination. we're talking about a more vulnerable population, who not only have declining protection from a vaccine over time -- we know vaccines don't work quite as well in older individuals, but they're also more vulnerable to infection. you want to prevent even a milder infection to vulnerable people. they need to issue the general recommendation. you're talking about a process that is probably at least a couple of months long, could take a little more time than that. i think starting it right now, frankly, is prudent.

>> dickerson: you mentioned anybody getting a vaccine right now didn't have to worry about a booster. you were careful to make that distinction. do you think that is a public health challenge for the administration, for public health officials, who are desperate to get people vaccinated in the first place, that question of the booster kind of complicates things for them? >> doctor: they have data that shows when you start talking about boosters, that discourages some people from getting a vaccination. i think that has weight in trying to get a certain number of the population to get vaccinated. they were pushing hard to meet the deadline, and they almost did. they did a good job getting close to the stretch goal they set out for themselves. i think they're worried if you start a conversation around boosters now, it could discourage people from going out and seeking vaccination. i think there is a way to bifurcate this message. when we're talking about boosters, we're not talking about people who go out and get vaccinated

now, who, by and large, are younger, healthier people. we're talking about people who were vaccinated last december, last january, people over the age of 65, who you a significant amount of time out from their original vaccination. do you want them going into the 2021-'22 cold front season? we vaccinated the 1.3 million residents in nursing homes, we vaccinated them last december. and we vaccinated our frontline health care workers last december. are physicians going to want to go into this fall and winter season with a vaccine that is a year old? those are the questions we need to start asking. i'm glad we started the process. tony talked about the meeting that will take place tomorrow with the companies. >> dickerson: as a last question, let me ask you about schools. the c.d.c. said, cools, if you're vaccinated as a teacher or a student, you don't have to wear a mask.

how do you think those schools are going to sort through those who aren't vaccinated and checking on whether they wear their masks? how do you think that will play out? >> doctor: i don't think they're really going to do checking. some schools are going to implement mask mandates, others won't. eight states have announced they're not going to allow masks in schools. california announced they will. i don't think you're going to create a situation where you'll have some students wearing masks and others not. schools will be wearing masks or not, depending on what the risks are. the guidance that c.d.c. put out was also air filtertration. this is the first time the c.d.c. recommended testing in schools. in schools. >> dickerson: dr. scott gottlieb, thank you, as always. "face the nation" will be back in one minute.

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this is the third heatwave in as many weeks in the western united states. mark strassmann reports from new mexico. >> reporter: california bakes and burns this weekend. wildfires here and in 15 states. blistering, triple-digit heat. death valley hit 130°. among the highest temperatures ever recorded on earth. >> northern california, all the way down to palm springs, where it will be probably above 120°, which, for any other year, would be beyond alarming, but for this year it just seems like it is routine. >> reporter: look at today's forecast for highs and the west. las vegas, 117°. redding, california, 112°. phoenix, 110°. >> it feels like i'm walk noo. >> reporter: temperatures could climb up to 25° above average. farmers waer the best of it,

and the rest will have to burn. >> reporter: here in new mexico, it hit 100°, if you're thinking, but it is dry heat, but trust me, 100° feels like 100°. >> climate change enhances the extreme, so that's what we're seeing happening across the country. >> reporter: the middle of the country is under an enhanced risk of thunderstorms, a dual threat of high winds and possible hail. and as the west gets hotter, the east gets wetter, now drying out from elsa. it formed nearly a month earlier than similar storps in the past. >> we got hit hard. we got a lot of water in the house. >> reporter: thursday's rainfall totals came trait from the old testament. key west, almost 11 inches. savannah, eight inches. elsa moved up a coast already plagued by severe

storms. hail fell in new jersey. to climatolog climatologists, af this extreme weather, this coast to coast misery, looks like a moment of reckoning. since california arguably had it the worst this weekend, its government has the final word. >> governor: climate change is real and it is here, and you don't believe it, you've got to believe your own eyes. >> dickerson: mark is going to be back later and the broadcast to tell us about billionaire richard branson's space flight. let's look at them taking off on what they're calling the unity 22 mission. 22 is the number of flights for this particular space plane. branson said he will be evaluating the virgin galactic experience. if all goes well, that means the 600-person

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♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening. jericka duncan is off tonight. i'm errol barnett. british billionaire richard branson first took tourists to the sky back in 1984, flying aboard a used jumbo jet repainted with the logo of his upstart company virgin atlantic airlines. well, today branson soared into space aboard a virgin galactic rocket plane with a crew of five others. he called this the dawn of the new space age, aimed at sending tourists there, too. cbs's mark strassmann watched it all near truth or consequence, new mexico. mark, good evening. >> reporter: i tell you, errol,

that