THANK
THANK YOU
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THE
NIGHTTEAM, I'M DOUG PROFFITT. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IT'S A RACE
BETWEEN
BETWEEN
BETWEEN THE VACCINE AND THE NEW COVID VARIANTS.
AS HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN OF A
POSSIBLE
FOURTH SURGE, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
MOVING UP HIS DEADLINE FOR
STATES TO MAKE ALL AMERICANS ELIGIBLE
FOR THE VACCINE BY TWO WEEKS...
TO
TO APRIL
TO APRIL 19TH. 1:07 LET ME BE DEADLY EARNEST WITH YOU: WE AREN'T AT THE
FINISH LINE.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO
DO. 1:13
DO. 1:13
AMID
AMID THAT
AMID THAT PUSH FOR VACCINES, ONE KENTUCKY PHARMACY IS CALLING THE
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE
REVOLUTIONARY. FOCUS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
PAULA
VASAN SHOWS US WHY THE DEMAND
FOR THIS
SINGLE-SHOT VACCINE IS
UNPRECEDENTED.
UNPRECEDENTED. IT'S A SPECIAL DAY FOR THIS
PHARMACY IN HILLVIEW, KENTUCKY.
NATS: FEDEX TRUCK DRIVING IN
BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THEIR FIRST BATCH OF THE NEW JOHNSON
AND
AND
JOHNSON
JOHNSON COVID-19 VACCINE. NATS: CUTTING OPEN BOX OF
VACCINES/TAKING OUT STYROFOAM BOX
"THERE SHE IS."
PHARMACY OWNER REBECCA FLETCHER
HAS JUST ONE REGRET.
"NEXT WEEK I'LL DEFINITELY ORDER
UP. SO IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING I
SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH
BETTER." SHE ORDERED 100 DOSES,
THINKING IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO
GET THROUGH. NATS: UNWRAPPING
SYRINGE THEY GOT SNATCHED UP...
NATS: "YOU READY?" "I'M READY."
...IN JUST THREE HOURS. PAULA:
"IS THAT SURPRISING TO
YOU?"
"YES, IT'S VERY SURPRISING. I
DIDN'T
DIDN'T
KNOW
KNOW THERE WAS SUCH A NEED." PAULA: "HOW IS THIS VACCINE UNLIKE THE OTHERS?"
"IT IS DIFFERENT IN SO MANY
WAYS."
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
OF THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON
VACCINE IS THE WAY IT'S STORED.
IT GOES INTO A FRIDGE, INSTEAD
OF A TEMPERATURE- SPECIFIC FREEZER. AND NOT ONLY CAN THE
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE BE
STORED FOR LONGER, UP TO 3
MONTHS, IT'S ALSO ONE SHOT
INSTEAD OF TWO. THAT CONVENIENCE
MEANS THESE PHONES
ARE RINGING OFF THE HOOK. "I WOULD SAY ABOUT 30 CALLS PER
HOUR." 60-YEAR-OLD STEVEN
O'BRIEN GOT ONE OF THE FIRST APPOINTMENTS.
APPOINTMENTS.
"I
"I GOT
"I GOT THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE." BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE ONE AND
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. "I
DONE. "I SUFFER FROM CROHN'S DISEASE AND MY IMMUNE SYSTEM IS REALLY
BAD AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET
OUT OF THE HOUSE. IT'S
HORRIBLE." HEALTH EXPERTS BELIEVE THE J&J
VACCINE WILL HELP PEOPLE LIKE
O'BRIEN THE MOST. PEOPLE WHO
CAN'T MAKE TWO SEPARATE TRIPS
OVER THE SPAN OF ABOUT A MONTH
TO GET THE PFIZER OR MODERNA
VACCINES. AND SINCE THE J&J
VACCINE CAN
BE STORED AND TRANSPORTED MORE
EASILY, FLETCHER CAN TAKE SOME
DOSES
DIRECTLY TO THE HOMES OF HER
MOST
VULNERABLE PATIENTS.
"THOSE PATIENTS HAVE A HARD TIME
EVEN GETTING
OUT OF THEIR HOUSE
" AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS A
GAME-CHANGER.
GAME-CHANGER.
ACCORDING
ACCORDING TO THE CDC, AROUND 20 PERCENT OF KENTUCKY IS FULLY
VACCINATED. "THERE YOU GO."
...A WAYS OFF FROM WHAT EXPERTS
ESTIMATE IS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE
HERD IMMUNITY. THAT HAPPENS WHEN
ENOUGH PEOPLE BECOME IMMUNE TO A
DISEASE
DISEASE TO MAKE ITS SPREAD UNLIKELY. THE COUNTY'S TOP INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT DOCTOR
ANTHONY FAUCI HAS SAID COVID-19
HERD IMMUNITY MIGHT BE REACHED
IF AROUND 70 TO 85% OF PEOPLE ARE IMMUNE.
"I ALSO FEEL THAT THERE'S A LOT
OF WORK TO DO STILL SO I'M NOT
THROWING A PARTY YET, BUT SOON."
BUT
BUT JUDGING FROM THE EXCITEMENT OVER THIS J&J VACCINE...
NATS: PHONE RINGING NATS: SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL
BACK MONDAY ...FLETCHER
ANTICIPATES THROWING THAT PARTY
SOONER THAN SHE THOUGHT. PAULA:
"DO YOU BELIEVE THE JOHNSON AND
JOHNSON VACCINE WILL HELP US
REACH HERD IMMUNITY AND LET US GET BACK TO NORMAL FASTER?"
"YES."
AND IT'S THAT DESPERATION FOR
"NORMAL"... WHATEVER NORMAL
LOOKS LIKE AFTER THIS PANDEMIC.
THAT MAKES FLETCHER
CONTINUE
CONTINUE TO WORK 12 HOUR DAYS. "I'M EXCITED TO GET THOSE PEOPLE
VACCINATED."
VACCINATED." IT'S WHY SHE HAD A BABY IN DECEMBER... NATS: BABY COOING
...AND CAME RIGHT BACK TO WORK
TWO WEEKS LATER.
"I KNOW IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY
AND MY DUTY TO HELP THE
COMMUNITY." IT'S WHY WHEN SHE
GOT COVID WHILE PREGNANT, SHE
JOINED A RESEARCH STUDY TO HELP
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. "I WANT TO MINGLE WITH PEOPLE. I
WANT TO MINGLE WITH MY PATIENTS.
I WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE
NORMALLY AND BACK TO THE WAY IT
USED TO BE." PAULA: "HOW QUICKLY
DO YOU THINK THAT'LL HAPPEN?" "HOPEFULLY BY DERBY SO WE CAN
ALL ENJOY EACH OTHER'S COMPANY."
WHAT
WHAT DETERMINATION TO HELP HER COMMUNITY. WE REACHED OUT KENTUCKY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT HOW
THE
J&J VACCINE MAY IMPACT WHEN WE
ACHIEVE HERD IMMUNITY. THEY
COULDN'T GIVE US AN EXACT
TIMELINE. BUT INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALISTS I'VE INTERVIEWED
PREDICT A RETURN TO NORMAL BY LATE SUMMER, IF WE CONTINUE
GETTING
GETTING VACCINATED AND WEARING MASKS OUT IN PUBLIC. FOR FOCUS,
I'M PAULA VASAN.