After Lying Low, Dr. Damsker Returns To Stress ‘COVID-19 Vaccines Are Very Successful’

After months out of the spotlight, Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker has emerged in a county video on COVID-19.

Damsker, who has a medical degree and one in public health, has largely been out of public view since his school COVID-19 mitigation guidance in August caused a flap. The state’s top health official felt Damsker’s outline for schools was too lax and the county health department ended up updating guidance for schools to require mandatory masking and follow federal and state guidance.

As the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have risen across Bucks County in recent weeks, data has shown the most serious cases are vastly among people who are not vaccinated. Data from this week showed more than 90 percent of those suffering the most severe complications in hospitals were unvaccinated.

“The overwhelming majority in hospitals, intensive care units, on ventilators, and yes, dying are unvaccinated. The data is clear and consistent. The data is taken directly from our six Bucks County hospitals,” Damsker firmly stated.

“Vaccines are the most effective tool we have in this fight … COVID-19 vaccines are very successful at preventing serious illness and death,” Damsker said.

The doctor, who has years of experience in public health, said the benefits of getting vaccinated and a booster shot are clear. Despite limited risks of side effects and breakthrough cases, he stated the data shows how safe and effective the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines have been.

The video is the first COVID-19-related appearance Damsker has made since summer.

Outside of the COVID-19 response, Damsker has appeared at Bucks County Salary Board meetings in recent months in his role as the head of the health department.

County officials have affirmed Damsker remains in charge of the health department.

Despite him leading the health department, the county has not offered him up for interviews or featured him in pandemic-related social media posts or press releases since summer.

Despite rumors Damsker, the county’s highest paid employee, was secretly fired, he remains employed and leading the health department’s fight against COVID-19, according to public records.

At Bucks County Commissioners meetings in recent months, members of the public have grilled the governing body of two Democrats and one Republican about Damsker’s whereabouts and whether they really were behind Damsker adopting more restrictive federal and state COVID-19 mitigation guidance for schools in summer.

A recent Bucks County Courier Times article from reporter Chris Ullery stated a review of more than 160 pages of messages between Damsker, county officials, and school superintendents did not support claims Damsker was “sidelined or coerced” into changing school guidance. The reported also noted the records didn’t provide a clear picture of how involved in the mandates Damsker was at the time.

Damsker and a team of health officials have led the local COVID-19 response, including interfacing with school officials, over the course of the pandemic. However, some of Damsker’s early pandemic duties related to schools were assigned to other staff in his office as time wore on, several area school administrators and school board members have told LevittownNow.com.

While there hasn’t been a public explanation for Damsker stepping back from his public role, he did tell this news organization in spring he was hoping he could return to a less visible role leading the health department after there was widespread a COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Throughout the first year of the pandemic, Damsker was highly visible at press conferences, at events related to the crisis, on calls with local officials, and was quick to return messages from reporters. However, he noted at the time, the added duties were taking up much of his time and the pandemic had taken a toll on staff in his department.

Damsker’s video this week encouraging vaccinations drew a mixed reaction on social media.

“Oh wow. Look at that. Dr Damsker IS alive,” one person wrote.

“Oh look they let Damsker out as long as he pushes the propaganda. It hurts watching him do this,” another person said.

“Whenever I start to question myself and wonder if I’m the one who is brainwashed, I read comments from people who praised Damsker when he aligned with them who now call him compromised and I realize, nope, I’m fiiiiine,” another posted.

In past interviews, Damsker has encouraged residents to get vaccinated as soon as they were able. The county and Neshaminy Manor nursing home, which is overseen by the health department, both have vaccine mandates for employees.

As of Tuesday, there were 77,298 people who were partially vaccinated and 367,452 who were fully vaccinated in Bucks County. A total of 111,849 additional doses have been administered in the county since third doses and booster shots were approved in mid-August, according to state data.

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