JOINING ME NOW, DR. BLACKSTOCK,
AN MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR.
DR. BLACKSTOCK, PRESIDENT BIDEN
HAS WARNED THAT THE DELTA
VARIANT IS IN MUCH GREATER
THREAT TO THOSE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED.
HOW BAD COULD IT GET IN AREAS
WITH LOW VACCINATION RATES?
WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR THE
OVERALL POPULATION?
>> HI, ALICIA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I THINK THAT WE CAN LEARN A LOT
OF LESSONS FROM WHATS GOING ON
RIGHT NOW IN THE U.K.
WEVE SEEN A SPIKE THERE IN
HOSPITALIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED.
THEYRE WINDING UP NOT ONLY
HOSPITALIZED BUT IN THE
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
AND SO IF YOU TRANSLATE THAT FOR
THE CURRENT SITUATION HERE IN
THE U.S., WE HAVE POCKETS IN THE
MOUNTAIN WEST, IN THE SOUTHEAST
OF UNVACCINATED PEOPLE,
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE CAN
HAVE REGIONAL OUTBREAKS WITH
THIS DELTA VARIANT.
AND OF COURSE BECAUSE OF
CHILDREN UNDER 12 YEARS OLD HAVE
NOT YET BEEN APPROVED FOR THE
VACCINATION, FOR VACCINES,
RATHER, THEY ARE INCREDIBLY
VULNERABLE AS WELL.
>> THE WHITE HOUSE IS CREATING A
NATIONAL COALITION TO GET TEENS
VACCINATED.
HERES WHAT A TEEN TOLD US ABOUT
WHAT SHE WANTS TO HEAR.
>> I FEEL LIKE ITLL TAKE
SOMEONE THAT WE TRUST, AN
INFLUENCER TO TELL US THAT THIS
VACCINE ISNT GOING TO HARM US.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY SHOULD
DEBUNK ALL THE RUMORS AND
CONSPIRACIES OF HOW THE
VACCINATION IS, QUOTE, UNQUOTE,
HARMFUL OR WILL TURN US, QUOTE,
UNQUOTE, TO ZOMBIES.
>> ZOMBIES.
DR. BLACKSTOCK, HOW WOULD YOU
TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE
VACCINE, SPECIFICALLY THIS NEW
RISK BOIFDPOSED BY THE DELTA VAR
>> THAT PERSON IS VERY MUCH ON
POINT.
ESPECIALLY WITH THAT YOUNG
POPULATION, WE NEED TO DISPEL
THE MISINFORMATION.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF THIS STUDENT
CORE OR PEER EDUCATORS THAT
COULD ENCOURAGE OTHERS THEIR AGE
TO GET THE VACCINE BY DISPELLING
MYTHS ABOUT THE VACCINE.
I THINK ALSO THERES A ROLE FOR
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS, MUSIC,
AND OTHER CELEBRITIES TO GET ON
BOARD AS WELL.
WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE WERE
GETTING TO THEIR PARENTS BECAUSE
WE SEE THERES A CORRELATION IN
TERMS OF PARENTS THAT ARE
WILLING TO GET VACCINATED WILL
ALSO GET THEIR CHILDREN
VACCINATED.
FINALLY, YOU THINK WE NEED TO,
YOU KNOW, SEND THIS MESSAGE TO
YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE STILL
AT RISK, EVEN IF THEY GET
INFECTED AND DONT HAVE
STOMACHS, THEY CAN STILL HAVE
LONG COVID SYMPTOMS.
THERES SO MUCH ABOUT THIS
THATS UNPREDICTABLE, AND WE
NEED TO BRING AT HOME THAT
MESSAGE.
>> SHE IS VERY ON POINT.
PERHAPS SHE SHOULD BE A PART OF
THAT CORE.
>> SHE SHOULD.
>> WERE CLOSE, DR. BLACKSTOCK,
TO MEETING PRESIDENT BIDENS
GOAL OF 70% OF AMERICANS WITH AT
LEAST ONE SHOT, BUT NEARLY HALF
OF UNVACCINATED ADULTS SAY THEY
DEFINITELY WONT GET THE
VACCINE.
WHEN DO YOU EXPECT VACCINATION
RATES TO FLORIDAPLATEAU?
>> WERE SEEING THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TRYING TO ADDRESS
ACCESS ISSUES.
SO THEYRE INCENTIVIZING SMALL
BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE PAID LEAVE
AND INCREASING THE HOURS THAT
VACCINATION SITES ARE OPEN AND
PROVIDING CHILD CARE AND
TRANSPORTATION.
BUT I THINK FOR PEOPLE, THOSE
BARRIERS ARE BEING KNOCKED DOWN.
THE FOLKS WE NEED TO GET TO ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY.
THEYRE CONCERNED ABOUT
FERTILITY, LONG-TERM SIDE
EFFECTS.
SO I THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE
SOME TIME, ESPECIALLY THE NEXT
FEW WEEKS ARE CRUCIAL,
ESPECIALLY WITH THIS DELTA
VARIANT OUT THERE.
IF WE CAN BRING HOME TO PEOPLE
THAT THIS VARIANT IS THE MOST
CONCERNING, I DONT WANT TO