APPROVAL BY THE FDA OF MODERNA
VACCINE CANDIDATE IN WHAT WOULD
BE BECOME THE SECOND VACCINE
APPROVED IN ONE WEEK.
JOINs US NOW IS DR. KAVITA PATEL
AND FROM THE BOOKINGS INSTITUTE
AND FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE
HEALTH POLICY DIRECTOR AND ONE
OF OUR FAVORITE FRIENDS.
DR. PATEL, I KEEP THINKING THAT
THIS PLEA TO NOT GATHER OR
TRAVEL IS SO DETACHED FROM THE
REALITY OF DOCTORS AND NURSES
WHO ARE NOW MAYBE NOT GETTING
THE VACCINES THAT THEY THOUGHT
THEY WOULD GET, WHO WERE WORRIED
ABOUT GETTING SICK OR SICKENING
THEIR FAMILIES.
IT SEEMS LIKE IN SOME WAYS THIS
HAPPENS IN THE MILITARY, THEY
PAY A HIGHER PRICE FOR
PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY. IT WOULD SEEM NOW THAT
DOCTORS AND NURSES ARE PAYING A
MUCH HIGHER PRICE THAN THOSE OF
US RINGING OUR HANDS ABOUT WHAT
IS ADMITTEDLY SAD BUT NOT
DANGEROUS, MISSING OUR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS.
>> THAT IS RIGHT, NICOLLE.
AND FOR MONTHS NOW I THINK
HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE SEEN
THEMSELVES, IN FACT, WE TALKED
AS A JOKE BUT IT IS NOT A JOKE,
IT IS VERY SERIOUS THAT WE’RE
LIKE THE MILITARY BUT WITHOUT
THE EQUIVALENT OF KEVLAR OR THE
EQUIVALENT OF HAVING THAT
PROTECTION BECAUSE AS YOU
RECALL, WE DIDN’T HAVE THE PPE
TO BEGIN WITH AND WE STILL DO
NOT HAVE ADEQUATE PPE AFTER ALL
OF THE MONTHS AND NOW TO HAVE
ANOTHER GUT PUNCH ABOUT NOT
GETTING ENOUGH VACCINE, THAT
WILL HAD A V A LITTLE-- WILL HAV
LINING WITH MODERNA, HOPEFULLY
ANY MINUTE OR HOUR NOW WE’RE GET
THAT AUTHORIZATION.
AND IT IS A MORE FLEXIBLE
VACCINE.
SIMILAR TO PFIZER BUT IT COULD
BE STORED IN A REFRIGERATOR FOR
30 DAYS WHICH GIVES MORE
FLEXIBILITY AND I HAVE MIN
SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK HOPING
THAT MODERNA GETS THE TRUCKS OUT
AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO
HAVING A LOT MORE OF MY
COLLEAGUES VACCINATED SOON.
>> WHAT IS THE BEST CASE
SCENARIO FOR THIS COUNTRY IN THE
BIDEN TEAM SAID THAT IT WILL
PROBABLY BE LATE SUMMER, EARLY
FALL, BEFORE PEOPLE LIKE ME,
GENERAL PUBLIC, COULD GO AHEAD
AND GET A VACCINE.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP
PEOPLE ADHERING TO THE SAFETY
MEASURES BUT NOT LOSING HOPE AND
SORT OF HANGING ON THROUGH WHAT
COULD END UP FEELING LIKE THE
LONGEST STRETCH?
>> YEAH, I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU
KIND OF PART LIKE PUT ON MY
FORMER POLICY HAT ON THE IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
HAVE A NATIONAL PLAN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IT IS A NO
BRAINER BUT IT NEEDS TO BE SAID
WE’LL HAVE A NATIONAL STRATEGY
TO DEAL WITH COVID INCLUDING A
VACCINE ROLLOUT WITH MORE
MANUFACTURERS COMING ONLINE.
THE SECOND IS CRITICAL, TO MAKE
SURE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO
HAVE A VACCINE AUTHORIZED FOR
CHILDREN SO WE NEED TO GET THE
RAPID TESTING THAT IS
AFFORDABLE, NICOLLE, INTO
EVERYONE’S HANDS, ESPECIALLY
SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY SCHOOLS THAT
ARE IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
THE THIRD THING THAT WE HAVE TO
DO IS PROVIDE THAT ECONOMIC
SUPPORT AND I DON’T JUST MEAN
PASS A DARN STIMULUS, MITCH
McCONNELL, BUT I MEAN BEYOND
THAT.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO
TACTICALLY PRECISION HANDING OUT
AND SUPPORTING THROUGH GRANTS,
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO
HAVE BUSINESSES OPEN AGAIN.
BUT IT ALL HAS TO HAPPEN
TOGETHER.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE COULD HAVE
A NATIONAL STRATEGY WHERE YOU
COULD TEST PEOPLE AND YOU COULD
PUT CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS SAFELY,
BUT WE COULD GET ADULTS
VACCINATED THROUGH INFORMATION
AND GETTING THE VACCINES INTO
DOCTORS OFFICES AND PHARMACIES
AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE’RE
GOING TO GET FORWARD.
I KNOW THE BIDEN TEAM, THEY’RE
GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE.
THEY’RE SMART PEOPLE.
THEY’VE GOT WHAT THEY NEED TO
GET IT TOGETHER.
BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE COULD HOLD ON, STAY
HOME, DO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE
TO DO AND UNTIL WE COULD SEE THE
POLICY PIECES GET PUT IN PLACE.
>> HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE IMAGES
OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN WILL BE
VACCINATED ON MONDAY, MIKE PENCE
WAS VACCINATED TODAY.
HOW FAR DO THOSE EXAMPLES GO?
>> THEY GO FAR.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GO A
LITTLE FURTHER.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT IS NO
SURPRISE TO YOU, NICOLLE, WE
HAVE HAD A DIVIDED COUNTRY AND
DIVIDED ELECTION AND I THINK IT
IS HELPFUL THAT PENCE WAS ONE OF
THEM BUT WE NEED MORE TRUSTED
COMMUNITY FIGURES, LOCAL MAYORS
AND SOME OF THE MAYORS THAT HAVE
BEEN HOME TOWN HEROES, WE NEED
THE COUNTY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS.
THERE IS A BLACK DOCTOR MOVEMENT
FOR COVID-19 WHERE THEY’RE
GETTING PUBLICLY VACCINATED IN
PHILADELPHIA AND OTHER PLACES.
THAT IS AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHO YOU GO
TO, WHEN YOU NEEDED ADVICE, YOU
GO TO LOCAL PEOPLE.
PEOPLE WHO YOU TRUST, WHO LIKE
YOU, UNDERSTAND YOU, UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH.
AND SO IT IS A START.
AND I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT