GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA
COMMISSIONER UNDER PRESIDENT
TRUMP BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
HE’S ON PFIZER’S BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.
DR. GOTTLIEB, ARE YOU CONFIDENT
THAT BY BOOSTING SUPPLY THAT
AUTOMATICALLY MEANS MORE SHOTS
IN ARMS?
>> NO, SUPPLY DOESN’T CREATE
DEMAND AND IT DOESN’T CREATE
DISTRIBUTION BUT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING STEPS
TO TRY TO EXPAND THE
DISTRIBUTION.
I THINK WE’RE GOING TO SEE
STEADILY INCREASING SUPPLY OF
VACCINE COMING INTO THE MARKET
AND MORE SITES WHERE PEOPLE CAN
ACCESS IT IN THE COMMUNITY
SETTING.
I THINK GETTING TO A RUN RATE OF
1.5 MILLION TO 1.6 MILLION
VACCINATIONS A DAY IS EMINENTLY
ACHIEVABLE AND IF YOU STRETCH
THAT OUT UNTIL THE END OF MARCH,
YOU CAN GET TO 75 OR 80 MILLION
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED
WHO RECEIVED ATE LEAST ONE DOSE
OF THE VACCINE.
REMEMBER ABOUT 40% OF THE
VACCINES THAT WE’RE GOING TO
START DELIVERING ARE GOING TO BE
SECOND DOSES.
JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE 120
MILLION OR 180 MILLION DOSES
BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF MARCH
DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE GOING TO
VACCINATE 120 OR 180 MILLION
UNIQUE PEOPLE.
ALL LOT OF THOSE VACCINATIONS
WILL INCREASINGLY PROVIDE SECOND
DOSES TO PEOPLE ALREADY
VACCINATED.
BUT I THINK GETTING TO 75
MILLION OR 80 MILLION PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN VACCINATED TOWARDS THE
END OF MARCH IS ACHIEVABLE.
IT’S A STRETED GOAL BUT
ACHIEVABLE.
ONCE WE GET TO THAT NUMBER,
WE’LL HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE
SURPLUS AND ENOUGH COMING INTO
THE MARKET BRING APRIL YOU WILL
SEE THIS MADE MORE GENERALLY
AVAILABLE TO THE HELP OF 30, 40,
50-YEAR-OLDS.
I THINK IT’S GOING TO BECOME
AVAILABLE SOONER THAN YOU THINK.
>> LET’S TALK LOGISTICS.
WE HAVE THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
MINDS IN SCIENCE.
THAT’S HOW WE GOT THE VACCINE SO
QUICKLY.
WE ALSO HAVE THE MOST BRILLIANT
MINDS IN BUSINESS AND
TECHNOLOGY, YET WE CAN’T SEEM TO
SORT OUT LOGISTICS.
PEOPLE CAN’T GET EVEN BASIC
APPOINTMENTS.
WHY DID THAT HAPPEN AND HOW DO
WE FIX IT?
>> WE DIDN’T PLAN IN ADVANCE FOR
A SYSTEM THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR
COMMUNITY-BASED VACCINATION.
REMEMBER, THE FIRST THING WE DID
WAS VACCINE HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS AND PEOPLE IN NURSING
HOMES.
THE NURSING HOMES WERE
RELATIVELY EASY TO REACH.
WE DID THAT THROUGH BIG BOX
PHARMACIES, WALGREENS AND CVS,
WENT INTO THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND WE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH
HOSPITALS.
WE AND DID THE SET UP A
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM NATIONALLY
THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR
COMMUNITY-BASED DISTRIBUTION.
WE LEFT THAT UP TO THE STATES.
SO WE HAVE 50 DIFFERENT MODELS
AND QUITE FRANKLY THE STATES
WERE FROZEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
WAITING FOR DIRECTION IN THE
GOVERNMENT.
I TALKED TO GOVERNORS AND ASKED
THEM WHAT THEIR PLAN IS THEY
WOULD SAY THEY’RE WAITING FOR
DIRECTION FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
THAT’S CHANGING NOW.
YOU’RE SEEING STATE SCHEDULING
SYSTEMS AND SEE THEM DISTRIBUTE
THROUGH BIG BOX STORES.
I THINK WE SHOULD MUCH MORE
SUPPLY THROUGH WALMART,
WALGREENS, CVS, SHOPRITE, THAT
HAVE SCHEDULING SYSTEMS,
VACCINATORS ON SITE BECAUSE THEY
DO IT EVERY YEAR FOR FLU SEASON.
SO THEY’RE STARTING TO DO THAT
RIGHT NOW.
THAT DOESN’T COMPLETELY SOLVE
YOUR PROBLEM BECAUSE THOSE
STORES AREN’T IN EVERY COMMUNITY
THAT YOU WANT TO TRY TO REACH.
THEN YOU TRY TO WRAP AROUND
THAT.
YOU TAKE THE ALL OF THE ABOVE
APPROACH.
THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE APPROACH NOW, IT
SEEMS TO BE ALL OF THE ABOVE
APPROACH WHERE THEY’RE TRYING TO
SUPPORT DIFFERENT MODELS ACROSS
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
>> I KNOW IT’S SIGNIFICANTLY
SMALLER.
IT’S MUCH MORE LIKE ONE OF OUR
STATES.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COUNTRY
LIKE ISRAEL THAT’S PRETTY MUCH
BEEN ABLE TO VACCINATE ALMOST
THEIR ENTIRE POPULATION, HOW DO
THEY DO IT, OR WHAT DID THEY DO
RIGHT THAT WE DIDN’T?
>> WELL, THEY PUT IT THROUGH
ESTABLISHED DISTRIBUTION SITES
SO THEY USED THEIR MILITARY,
THEY USED THEIR ESTABLISHED,
CONSOLIDATED HEALTH SYSTEM,
THREE LARGE PAYERS IN THEIR
COUNTRY SO THEY’RE ABLE TO REACH
THEIR POPULATION MORE EASILY.
THEY ALSO MADE SURE THEY GOT
SUPPLY EARLY.
SO THEY BID HIGHER THAN OTHER
COUNTRIES AND SECURED A SUPPLY
OF VACCINE, ENOUGH FOR A SIZABLE
PORTION OF THEIR POPULATION UP
FRONT.
SO THEY DIDN’T HAVE THIS
SITUATION WHERE VACCINE WAS BRK