Welcome to our special in "Barbershop Medicine"
where today we're going to have a discussion with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
So, barbershops traditionally are safe spaces in black and brown communities.
Today we're going to talk about issues related to COVID and the vaccine.
Dr. Fauci, thanks so much for joining us today
on this special episode of "Barbershop Medicine." We really appreciate it.
- I feel like a fanboy. - I know.
Hi, Italo. Hi, Jamie. Nice to meet you guys.
You're both in California, right?
- That's correct. - We are.
So, barbershops in our communities are like
safe spaces where we discuss everything,
so this is our chance to talk about health,
and specifically COVID and the vaccines.
- Sounds good. - And one of the questions I have for you
is how often do you get your hair cut?
- Hey, you know? - It's a really interesting question.
I used to get it cut about every 4 to 5 weeks,
but when we were in the middle of the big surges,
where-- you know, before vaccination--
I pulled it out to like, 12 weeks, 13 weeks.
I was gonna say, that there are a lot of people who became expert barbers at home
- because of the pandemic. - Yeah, yeah.
One of the things about the barbershop that we both enjoy is
- being able to have a real conversation. - Right.
And one of the things that we like to do, really,
is use the barbershop as a platform to educate,
so that people can understand why we say things like go get the vaccine,
and they can come to the obvious conclusion that we all came to.
So, I was wondering, what do you think about that type of messaging,
and being able to actually teach that communication so people can understand it?
I think that's the way to go.
In fact, I just came back about
- 45 minutes ago from the White House... - Wow.
talking with President Biden,
and him wanting to know why we still are below
where we need to be in the African-American community.
And that's really-- I'm telling you guys things know inside-out.
It's so unfortunate because as I'm sure you're seeing in your practices,
African-Americans, because of underlying medical conditions
when they do get infected, which they get more often
because of the jobs that they generally are in,
generally have a greater chance of a severe outcome--
hospitalization and even death.
So, anything that gets people comfortable in the discussion
about why it's important to get vaccinated, to me that's golden.
In fact, that was one of the things we mentioned in the discussion,
was the whole issue of the barbershop/beauty salon, where people can come in,
they feel they're with their own crowd, their own crew.
- They can open up, chat, and talk. - Exactly.
They believe you guys and all of your colleagues
a heck of a lot more than when they see
a white guy like me in a suit talking to them.
Really. Seriously.
You did mention that there's this weird gap that we're not able to close.
And I'm moreso concerned about those contributing factors.
What do you think is really behind this gap in terms of vaccination?
The 1.4 times less likely to receive first vaccination
that African-Americans are demonstrating,
like, what do you think is behind it?
You know, I think a bit of it
is handed down from generation to generation,
an understandable distrust of the federal government/
medical/ the African-American community.
- Right. - And you know, you gotta own that.
We, you know, the non African-American communities gotta own that.
So the one thing that I've learned
is you don't want to disrespect the distrust.
You gotta make sure you say,
"I understand why you are distrustful.
So let's talk a little bit about it,
and talk about why it's so important
in today's circumstances to get vaccinated."
So, that's lesson, for me, number one.
Don't put anybody down 'cause they don't trust you,
because historically they have a good reason to distrust you.
- I'm glad you said that. - Yeah, one of the things that we find interesting is
there's this rumor going around where everybody is saying,
and we hear this in the barbershop, that the vaccine is gene therapy.
I wanna clear that up a little bit so we can explain how these vaccinations work.
- What do you think about that? - It's understandable,
and I think just explaining to people
in really plain language that first of all,
it has nothing at all to do with your own genes, period.
That's it. It's a message, a code,
- that tells your body to make a protein. - Right.
And it's particularly good because it's made
in the environment of your body
making its own protein rather than you injecting a protein,
and that may be one of the reasons why the body responds so much better.
We never would've imagined it would've been
as highly effective as it is.
I was praying for a 65, 70, 72% efficacy,
- and it turned out to be 95% effective. - Right.
So, we just gotta make sure they understand as a matter of fact,
nothing at all to do with your genes.
Nothing at all to do with fertility.
That's the other thing that a lot of African-American women are concerned about.
I know we were talking about communities of color,
but this is across all communities,
where there's a concern that vaccination may lead to some type of infertility,
or the fact that your chances of getting pregnant
may be altered by vaccination or outcomes could be worse.
How do we address that part?
Like, how do we create some comfort in that knowledge?
Well, the one thing that we've learned very, very clearly,
is you counter misinformation and disinformation
by continuing to provide the correct information.
- That's right. - I mean, that's the only way to do it.
It's like the best defense is a good offense.
Just go right at it and just say
there is absolutely data whatsoever
to indicate it interferes with infertility and here's why.
'Cause we've vaccinated a hundred and some odd million people,
and they're all-- the women are getting pregnant just like they were before.
- There are still babies. - There are still babies coming out.
There are still babies coming out. Right. Exactly.
Some of the communities that Jamie and I interact with
wonder about the possibility of a booster shot.
Like, I know people use that word casually,
but do you think that that is something that's in our future?
I think it will be in the future of certain people,
and they're gonna be either elderly people
with underlying medical conditions.
Particularly people-- transplant recipients,
people with autoimmune disease,
they may need to get a boost earlier
than a normal healthy young person who's doing fine.
What I am seeing now though are a lot of family members,
particularly parents, coming in and asking me,
"Hey, doc, what do I do for my child?"
"I've got the vaccine. My partner's got the vaccine.
But they now are recommending
that 12-year-olds can be vaccinated."
How do you recommend or how do you talk that through with a 12-year-old?
- Yeah. - He's got kids. You've got children.
My dad's waiting on some kids from me at some point.
But how do you narrate that conversation?
You know, that's a good point.
We are finding that many young kids,
they're encouraging their parents to allow them to get vaccinated.
They really are, because they understand that vaccines,
since the time they were little babies,
have protected them against all the things you want to be protected against.
Measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis.
The entire field of pediatric medicine
has been completely transformed by vaccines.
And I think when young kids understand that,
they're more amenable to getting vaccinated against this disease that--
you know, that's one of the calling cards
of the president's vaccine implementation program,
is employing trusted messengers in the community core.
Including the barbershop/ beauty salon group is part of the trusted messengers.
Now, Dr. Fauci, if and when we get to D.C.,
my man Italo has a question for you.
So, I love working in barbershops.
Jamie and I, we frequent barbershops.
If we're sitting in that barbershop, either in D.C.
or South Central L.A. or Detroit,
places that have flourishing communities,
you're with us and they turn to you and they say,
"Hey, we want to hear from you."
What do you say to those patrons,
to those community members,
to get them to have a little bit less hesitancy
and maybe consider the vaccination?
Well, the first thing, I wanna hear from them. I wouldn't preach to them.
I would say, "Hey, tell me what's up.
What's going down? Why are you hesitant?
I wanna hear from you." And let them spell it out.
And then we just engage in an equal conversation.
Like, I'm not smarter than you, you're not smarter than me.
Let's just talk about it. So that's what I would do.
You'd let the Brooklyn out a little bit on them, right?
Yeah.
- I just wanna say, this has been an honor. - My pleasure.
We really appreciate you being on today's special episode of "Barbershop Medicine."
This, what we're doing today,
is going to literally carry itself--
It's gonna have wings. It's gonna run.
And I'm so proud to be able to have this conversation.
Thank you very much. Jamie, Italo, it's great to be with you guys.
Thanks for having me, and thanks for being on the front line.
You guys are the heroes. Take care.