THIS AT ALL.
>> INTERESTING POINT AND
COUNTERPOINT.
MIKE MEMOLI, THANK YOU FROM
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.
JOINING ME NOW DR. MICHAEL
OSTERHOLM, AND A COVID ANALYST
FOR THE BIDEN TEAM.
DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE COVID
VACCINE, AS THE DEMAND IS GOING
TO FAR OUTPACE THE AVAILABILITY.
WE KNOW THE GENERAL GUIDELINES
RECOMMENDED I GUESS IT’S UP TO
THE STATES, WHETHER THEY FILE
BASED ON THEIR NEEDS.
BUT HOW DOWEL MAKEDO HOW DO YOU
DECISIONS AND HOW SHOULD JOE
BIDEN MAKE DECISIONS AND PEOPLE
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED,
UNDERSERVED, NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS NURSING HOME STAFF,
OTHER ELDERLY PEOPLE.
WHO GETS IT FIRST?
>> THANK YOU, ANDREA.
LET ME SAY AT THE OUTSET, WE
HAVE TWO SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS
HAPPENING.
ONE IS THERE ARE GOING TO BE
EARLY ADOPTERS THAT WANT THE
VACCINE.
THEY WANT IT NOW, AND FRANKLY,
WE WANT TO GET IT TO THEM.
THEN YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THE
SECOND GROUP WHICH ARE BASICALLY
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RELUCTANT TO
GET THE VACCINE WHICH COULD BE A
SIZABLE NUMBER.
WE’RE SEEING SURVEYS 30% TO 35%
OF PHYSICIANS, NURSES, PEOPLE IN
THE MOST IMPACTED COMMUNITIES.
THAT BASICALLY ARE NOT WILLING
TO TAKE THE VACCINE OUT OF
CONCERNS.
SO, I THINK WE HAVE TO
SIMULTANEOUSLY WORK ON MAKING
SURE WE GET THE VACCINE TO THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO
HAVE SERIOUS OUTCOMES OR THE
FRONT LINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
THAT’S THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE
HAVE NOW.
ONCE WE GET BEYOND THAT, IT’S
NOT JUST OFFERING THE VACCINE,
BUT WE NEED A MAJOR THAEFRT HASE
HAS NOT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, TO
EDUCATE, TO TELL THEM WHY
THEY’RE EFFECTIVE.
THAT’S OUR JOB.
IF WE DON’T DO THAT, I’M AFRAID
WE’RE GOING TO BE SITTING HERE
ONE DAY WITH A VACCINE THAT
NOBODY IS GOING TO WANT TO TAKE.
>> WITH THE PFIZER VACCINE, IT’S
PERISHABLE THAT I THINK LASTS
ONLY A FEW DAYS AFTER YOU OPEN
IT.
AND A SHOT WITHIN 21 DAYS, OF
COURSE
COURSE, THE SUBFREEZING STORAGE.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
AND YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOR
ALL HEALTH CARE WORKERS EVEN IF
YOU STARTED WITH THAT COHORT?
>> WE DO HAVE A CHALLENGE
DELIVERING ALL OF THE VACCINES.
THEY ARE COMPLICATED, AT BEST,
INCLUDING THE PFIZER VACCINE.
THAT IS THE LAST MILE OF THE
VACCINE STORY.
MEANING WE’VE DONE THIS
INCREDIBLE WORK TO GET THE
VACCINES WHERE THEY ARE NOW BUT
HOW DO WE GET THEM TO STAY IN
LOCAL HEALTH CARE DEPARTMENTS,
PROVIDERS, AND HOW THEY’RE GOING
TO WORK.
CONTRARY TO BELIEF, THAT SYSTEM
IS IS NOT NEARLY AS READY AS
PEOPLE LIKE TO STAKE.
I LIKE TO TAKE IT ONE STEP
FURTHER AND SAYING WE HAVE THE
LAST INCH CHALLENGE.
THAT LAST INCH IS CRITICAL, DOES
THAT NEEDLE GO INTO SOMEONE’S
ARM OR NOT?
WE NEED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAIN.
STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS HAVE NOT HAD THE
RESOURCES FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO PLAN FOR THIS IN A
WAY THAT LETS THEM CARRY OUT
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT HOW THIS WILL HAPPEN.
I WORRY THAT WE’LL HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT FORWARD
EFFECTIVE AND SAFE VACCINES, AND
AT BEST, WE’RE ONLY GOING TO
HAVE SOME USE OF THEM.
AGAIN, I COME BACK TO THE FACT
THAT, YES, YOU’RE RIGHT, EARLY
ON, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE
PEOPLE WHO WANT THE VACCINE THAT
IS AVAILABLE.
BUT IN THE END, THE REAL IMPACT
ON THE SOCIETY IS GOING TO BE
GETTING THOSE 45% TO 50% OF THE
POPULATION THAT ARE HESITANT TO
TAKE THE VACCINE READY TO TAKE
IT.
AND RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE NOT.
>> THE UK IS GOES TO BEGIN
ADMINISTERING THE PFIZER VACCINE
IS THIS WEEK.
SOME TOMORROW.
AND QUEEN ELIZABETH IS
APPARENTLY COULD BE ONE OF THE
FIRST AND PRINCE PHILIP WHO IS
99 YEARS OLD.
HERE WE SEE THE QUEEN LAST WEEK
MEETING VIRTUALLY, SHE WAS
ACCEPTING THE CREDENTIALS FROM
INCOMING AMBASSADORS AND DOING
IT VIA ZOOM WHICH SHOWS HOW
SHE’S ADJUSTED TO THE TIMES.
IT MIGHT NOT BE PRIVILEGE BUT
GOOD MODELLING TO HAVE HER AND
HER 99-YEAR-OLD HUSBAND, SHE’S
94, TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO
TAKE THE VACCINE TO SHOW HOW
SAFE IT IS.
>> I AGREE.
I THINK THE FACT THE FORMER U.S.
PRESIDENTS AND THE INCOMING
PRESIDENT HAVE ALSO INDICATED
THAT THEY, TOO, WOULD TAKE THE
VACCINE IN A VERY PUBLIC SHOW OF
SUPPORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
NOW, WE NEED OTHER LEADERS TO
STEP UP FROM THE IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES FROM THE BLACK,
INDIGENOUS AND COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR, FROM THOSE WHO ARE
ELECTED OFFICIALS, FROM THOSE
WHO ARE MEDICAL LEADERS.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE NEED NOW
TO HAVE STAND UP WITH THE
APPROPRIATE DATA, THEY DESERVE
TO HAVE ALL ALL OF THE SAFETY
AND EFFICACY DATA AND HAVE THEM
MODEL THIS.
I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY VACCINE.
I’M NOT GOING TO JUMP IN LINE
AHEAD OF ANYONE WHO HAS A HIGHER
NEED THAN I DO IN TERMS WHAT
THEY DO IN TERMS OF WORK AND
SERIOUS DISEASE, BUT I CAN’T
WAIT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY TO GET
THESE VACCINES.
THIS WILL MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE