BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE
DAY WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS
PRODUCT.
IF THE FDA MAKES THIS
RECOMMENDATION, THIS ADVISORY
COMMITTEE MAKES THIS
RECOMMENDATION TO THE FDA, THE
FDA MAY VERY WELL PULL THE
PRODUCT FROM THE SHELVES.
>> WILL YOU STICK AROUND FOR US
FOR A SECOND?
WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANOTHER BIG HEALTH STORY AND WE
ANOTHER BIG HEALTH STORY AND WE JUST GOT SOME BREAKING NEWS ONNG
. DICAL
THE FDA HAS APPROVED A NEW
ROUND OF COVID BOOSTER SHOTS AS
CASES RISE ACROSS THE U.S.
>> ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE
CDC, HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS ARE UP
MORE THAN 15%, DEATHS ARE ALSO
UP MORE THAN 10%.
LET'S BRING BACK NBC NEWS
MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. NATALIE
AZAR.
HOW SOON COULD THESE BOOSTERS
ACTUALLY ROLL OUT AND WHO
SHOULD GET THESE SHOTS RIGHT
AWAY?
>> TOMORROW THE CDC'S ADVISORY
COMMITTEE WILL BE MEETING TO
MAKE EXACTLY THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT EVERYBODY
IS EAGER TO HEAR, AND THAT IS
WHO SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR
THESE VACCINES.
I THINK THE EXPECTATION IS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD THAT WE
FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD THAT WE
ARE GOING TO HEAR THAT
INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 65,
PEOPLE WHO ARE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, PEOPLE WITH
COMORBIDITIES, PREGNANT WOMEN,
THAT THOSE ARE THE GROUPS THAT
REALLY SHOULD BE SCHEDULING
THEIR VACCINE.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL MAKE A
BROADER RECOMMENDATION FOR THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, PEOPLE WHO HAD
THEIR INITIAL SERIES, ET
CETERA, WE WILL SEE.
ONCE THE CDC'S DIRECTOR SIGNS
OFF ON THE VACCINES, WHICH
COULD HAPPEN AS EARLY AS
TOMORROW EVENING, AFTER THE
MEETING ENDS, WE COULD EXPECT
THESE SHOTS TO BE AVAILABLE IN
THE COMING DAYS.
BOTH PFIZER AND MODERNA HAVE
SAID THAT THEY HAVE A SUPPLY
THAT IS READY TO BE DEPLOYED AS
SOON AS THEY GET THE GREEN
LIGHT.
>> I'M GOING TO BE REALLY FRANK
ABOUT THIS.
I WAS OUT FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS.
I PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT I
HAD COVID.
I'M COMPLETELY NEGATIVE NOW.
IT WAS A VERY GREAT PICTURE OF
ME WITH COVID.
IT WAS REALLY HARD, DR. NATALIE.
NATALIE.
IT WAS -- I HAD FEVER, HEADACHE,
SORE THROAT, A COUGH, A
HEADACHE, EXHAUSTION.
ALL THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO
IN MY LIFE THAT HAVE HAD IT,
SAME THING.
IS THIS STRAIN RIGHT NOW
TOUGHER THAN OTHERS?
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE IT WAS MY
FIRST TIME.
>> YEAH.
I SAW THAT PICTURE, KATE.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE FEELING
BETTER.
YOU DID NOT LOOK LIKE A HAPPY
CAMPER.
SO FAR -- AGAIN WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT STRAIN YOU HAD.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE JUST LOST
DR. AZAR. PRIME TIME, WE'RE
EAGER TO HEAR IT, DR. NATALIE
AZAR, THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR
INSIGHTS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> WE DIDN'T GET HER BACK?
>> STILL FROZEN.
WAIT, SHE'S BACK.
NATALIE, ARE YOU BACK?
>> THIS IS LIVE TV, FOLKS.
>> START OVER YOUR ANSWER.
>> OKAY.
THIS IS IT.
OKAY.
SO ALL THE DATA WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW DOES NOT POINT TO THE
PREDOMINANT STRAIN THAT WE ARE
SEEING, THE EEG, THE FL STRAINS
THAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW,
THAT THEY ARE CAUSING MORE SEVERE DISEASE.
SEVERE DISEASE. BUT AGAIN, THA
JUST HAD IT WERE REALLY, REALLY
SICK, AND I THINK IT'S JUST AT M
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
IT'S NOT BE MEASURED IN REGULAR
FOLKS LIKE YOU AND I AT HOME,
AND I AGREE, ANECDOTALLY, THE
TWO PEOPLE CLOSEST TO ME WHO
JUST HAD IT WERE REALLY, REALLY
SICK, AND I THINK IT'S JUST A
REMINDER TO PEOPLE THAT YES, IF
YOU ARE LUCKY, YOU HAD A LITTLE
SORE THROAT AND A LITTLE BIT OF
A SNIFFLE, AND YOU DON'T
DEVELOP LONG COVID.
IF YOU'RE NOT SO LUCKY, YOU'RE
OUT OF WORK, CHILDREN, ET
CETERA, ET CETERA.
IT'S REALLY VERY DISRUPTIVE AND
WE ARE HOPING, OF COURSE, IN
CASE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY
LINGERING SYMPTOMS OR DEVELOP
ANY NEW SYMPTOMS.
THE BOOSTER WILL PREVENT
INFECTION.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO LAST
FOREVER. THAT'S USUALLY A 3 TO 6 MONTH
THAT'S USUALLY A 3 TO 6 MONTH
SORT OF BENEFIT THAT YOU GET.
BUT AGAIN, THAT OTHER PART OF
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT PROTECTS
US FROM SEVERE DISEASE AND
HOSPITALIZATION, WE BELIEVE IS
MUCH MORE DURABLE.
KATE, I'M SURE YOU'LL PROBABLY
BE GETTING AN UPDATED VACCINE. >> I ABSOLUTELY WILL.
>> I ABSOLUTELY WILL.
I DON'T WANT WHAT I HAD. WHEN I