AS FOR THE RACE TO VACCINATE THE
COUNTRY, PRODUCTION APPEARS TO
BE SLOWING IN THE PROCESS.
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL de
BLASIO SAYS THE CITY HAS THE
ABILITY TO ADMINISTER HALF A
MILLION DOSES A WEEK BUT HAS NOT
BEEN ABLE TO BECAUSE IT IS
WAITING FOR THE VACCINE
PRODUCTION TO RAMP UP.
AND MAYOR BILL DEBLAS KOE BLASBL
US NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT WHEN
YOU ARE GOING TO GET MORE?
>> WELL, WE’RE NOT, MICKIKKA.
IT IS AMAZING TO TELL YOU WE
COULD BE DOING A HALF MILLION
VACCINATIONS A WEEK.
SO FAR, WE HAVE DONE 650,000
VACCINATIONS.
THAT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF THE
ENTIRE POPULATION OF PORTLAND,
ORGAN.
THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS.
BUT THE BAD NEWS IS WE COULD BE
DOING SO MUCH MORE.
I WANT TO DO 24-HOUR SITES ALL
OVER THE CITY.
BUT WE’RE NOT GETTING A CLEAR
MESSAGE FROM THE MANUFACTURERS.
AND I’M JUST HOPING AND I
BELIEVE IN PRESIDENT BIDEN.
I BELIEVE HE WANTS TO MOVE THIS
PROCESS.
BUT I’LL TELL YOU, IT IS GOING
TO TAKE HIM USING THE DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT.
>> YEAH.
>> DEMANDING THAT A LOT OF
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES GET
INTO THIS TOGETHER, BREAKING
DOWN THOSE SILOS AND DOING
SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF WE’RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
I’VE GOT 100,000 SECOND DOSES
THAT RIGHT NOW ARE SITTING ON
THE SHELF.
THEY CAN’T BE USED FOR WEEKS.
AND WHAT I WOULD ASK OF THE
PRESIDENT IS ORDER GOVERNMENTS
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY JUST TAKE
THOSE SECOND DOSES AND START
USING THEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE
EVEN A FIRST DOSE GIVE FOLKS 50%
PROTECTION.
THINK ABOUT SENIOR CITIZENS.
I WAS WITH A 97-YEAR-OLD WOMAN
IN QUEENS LAST WEEK.
AND FOR HER SHE WAS SCARED TO
DEATH OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
AND THAT FIRST SHOT TO HER
LITERALLY MEANT SHE WAS GOING TO
LIVE.
SHE WAS GOING TO GET TO BE WITH
HER FAMILY.
EMOTIONALLY AND MEDICALLY, WE
GOT TO GET PEOPLE THAT FIRST
SHOT, NO MATTER WHAT.
>> WELL, AND WHAT ABOUT TEACHERS
AND FIRST RESPONDERS?
HOW ARE YOU DOING ACCOMMODATING
THE NEED THERE?
BECAUSE KIDS NEED TO BE IN
SCHOOL SO BADLY.
>> YEAH.
MICK
LOOK, THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO OPEN UP OUR
SCHOOLS.
WE DO TESTING, CONSTANT
CLEANING, FACE MASKS.
BUT I WANT TO SEE OUR EDUCATORS
AND SCHOOL STAFF VACCINATED AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN WE JUST DON’T HAVE THE
VACCINE.
I MEAN, I AM HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOSES SHORT FOR
THIS WEEK WE’RE IN NOW.
AND THINK ABOUT -- WE’RE THE
GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
I FEEL THAT.
WE ALL FEEL THAT.
BUT I’M CERTAIN THERE IS MORE
CAPACITY TO PRODUCE VACCINE OUT
THERE, BUT IT’S NOT HAPPENING
UNLESS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TAKES IT OVER AGGRESSIVELY.
FOR SOME REASON PRESIDENT TRUMP
WOULDN’T DO THAT.
I KNOW JOE BIDEN HAS THE
DECISIVE FEELING ABOUT THIS TO
ACTUALLY GO OUT AND DO
SOMETHING.
>> IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WE TALKED TO THE MAYOR OF NEW
JERSEY A FEW MINUTES AGO.
HE NEEDS MORE DOSES, JUST LIKE
YOU DO.
AS YOU TALK TO PEOPLE ALONG THE
SUPPLY CHAIN, WHERE IS THE
PROBLEM IN YOUR VIEW.
IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING TO HEAR
DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ON THIS
THIS MORNING.
IS IT JUST THEY’RE NOT MAKING
ENOUGH OR IT’S NOT GETTING TO
WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
>> THREE THINGS: THEY’RE NOT
MAKING ENOUGH.
AND I THINK IT MEANS BRINGING
OTHER PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
INTO THIS.
EVERY COMPANY THAT COULD BE
HELPING TO PRODUCE VACCINES
SHOULD HELP UNDER FEDERAL
ORDERS.
SOME HAVE GONE TO THE PLACES
THAT NEED IT BUT JUST DON’T HAVE
THE ABILITY TO DISTRIBUTE IT AS
QUICKLY.
DISH THE BALL TO WHOEVER HAS GOT
THE HOT HAND.
IF SOMEPLACE CAN DO IT REALLY
FAST, GET THE VACCINES THERE
FIRST, BACK FILL FOR THE OTHER
PLACES.
AND THE THIRD IS THE SECOND
DOSES.
IF YOU ARE SITTING ON TOP OF
100,000 OF SECOND DOSES I’M NOT
ALLOWED TO USE EVEN THOUGH NO
ONE CAN POSSIBLY USE THEM FOR
WEEKS, THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
LET’S CUT INTO THAT.
>> MR. MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED A
MINUTE AGO THAT OUR SCHOOLS IN
NEW YORK CITY ARE AMONG THE
SAFEST PLACES TO BE.
THAT WAS A REFRESHING FACT GIVEN
WE WEREN’T SURE WHAT IT WAS
GOING TO LOOK LOOKIKE WHEN YOU W
GOING TO REOPEN THE SCHOOLS.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE TEACHERS UNION WHO TOLD
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" A FEW
DAYS AGO, I’M NOT SENDING MY
TEACHERS BACK IN UNTIL THEY CAN
GET VACCINATED FIRST AND HE EVEN
CAST DOUBT ON NEXT SCHOOL YEAR,
THE FALL, WHETHER OR NOT SCHOOLS
COULD OPEN THEN.
>> WE’RE COMING BACK IN
SEPTEMBER FULL STRENGTH.
I DON’T HAVE A DOUBT IN MY MIND.
WITH THE KIND OF GOALS THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SET FOR VAC
SIN NATION, WITH OUR ABILITY TO
VACCINATE HALF A MILLION PEOPLE
A WEEK.
DO THE MATH.
AND THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON
VACCINE, WHICH IS ONLY ONE DOSE,
NO QUESTION IN MY MIND WE’RE
COMING BACK STRONG IN SEPTEMBER
IN PERSON.
IN THE MEANTIME, WILLIE, I WANT
TO GET MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN SOON
AND THEN HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND.
BUT WE GOT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WITH THIS VARIANT.
WE GOT TO GET MORE PEOPLE
VACCINATED.
WE GOT TO HAVE MORE TESTING
CAPACITY.
I’M CERTAIN WE’LL DO IT OVER
TIME IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, BUT A
FEW CHALLENGES WE GOT TO
OVERCOME FIRST.
>> WHAT IS THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
WHY IS IT SAFE FOR THE YOUNG
ONES TO BE THERE AND NOT THE
OLDER ONES?
>> WE NEEDED MORE TESTING
CAPACITY TO GET FIRST THE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DONE AND
SPECIAL ED AND ALL OF THEM.
NOW WE WILL WORK OUR WAY TO
MIDDLE SCHOOL.
RIGHT NOW WITH THIS VARCHT OUT
THERE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE ALL THE TOOLS IN PLACE TO
DO IT.
IF I COULD JUST KEEP
VACCINATING, THIS WOULD BE MOOT.
WE COULD MOVE ON TO MIDDLE
SCHOOL MUCH MORE QUICKLY.