Speaker 1: So the FDA has now authorized for emergency use while they are still evaluating
a full approval of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine, the Pfizer covid shot has been approved under
emergency use for 12 to 15 year olds.
And remember that JNJ and Moderna shots currently approved 18 plus Pfizer was already 16 plus.
Now it is 12 plus.
This is a great bit of news because there are 17 million, 12 to 15 year olds in the
United States that represents about five, six percent of the total population.
And that is a significant chunk, particularly when we think about students being back in
school, many already, and almost a certainty that they will be going back to school in
person in the fall.
Being able to make eligible an additional five or six percent of the total population
is a really great thing.
This has been widely tested.
We know that the vaccine is essentially 100 percent effective at preventing serious disease
and death in 12 to 15 year olds.
It triggers a robust antibody response.
And there's a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor which found
that many parents, even those who have themselves been vaccinated, are reluctant to vaccinate
their adolescent kids, sort of in that 12 to 16, 12 to 17 range.
It's really important that that happens for several reasons, not the least of which is
that going back to school without vaccinated kids just doesn't pass the sniff test.
It just doesn't make logical sense.
And we are expecting vaccination for 12 to 15 year olds to start this week.
Appointments, at least in some states, already being open to 12 to 15 year olds as soon as
as soon as tomorrow, as soon as Friday.
And we are going to see likely, as we saw with the adult vaccination, an initial surge
and then probably a tapering off.
And that's fine.
Just, you know, every time we get new eligibility, let's get as many people as we can vaccinated.
And then over the summer, as schools say, in order to come back on campus, you're going
to need a vaccine.
You're going to see more and more people in that age range going get that vaccine.
States, counties and school districts around the country, per The New York Times, are trying
to figure out the most reassuring way to reach those younger adolescents as well as their
parents.
In most states, parents have to consent to 12 to 15 year olds being vaccinated.
And so it will be not just the 12 to 15 year olds who need to want to get the shot.
It will also have to be the parents, which which makes sense in most cases.
And there are plans to offer the vaccines not only in schools, but also at pediatricians
offices, day camps, parks, beaches.
And we're increasingly hearing about even some restaurants, in some cases getting involved
in the vaccine effort.
So, you know, there's no question I've been seeing on Facebook anecdotally people saying
my kid is not getting any shot, they're not getting anything experimental.
There will be that.
There is that in every single group that's going to decline as 12 to 15 year olds start
to get vaccinated and.
Overwhelmingly start not to get the virus because the vaccine works so well, certainly
schools requiring vaccines for in-person attendance are going to further increase the number of
parents who will say, well, I wasn't big on it, but I've got to get these kids out of
the house.
I mean, quite frankly, it's it's sort of a silly thing to say to think about it in those
terms.
But that is going to be a factor as well.
And there are going to be all sorts of mobile vaccination initiatives and plans to just
make it as easy as possible for 12 to 15 year olds to get vaccinated.
So I continue to say that by Memorial Day, a lot of these numbers are going to look significantly
better.
We expected them to start looking better in mid-May.
And they are.
We just went over that.
Cases are now down 84 percent.
Deaths are now down 81 percent.
And there is still you know, I think there's a couple of things going on.
There's still a lot of doom and gloom ers who are only focusing on the negatives.
And there are negatives, 650 deaths today, while down 81 percent from the peak, is still
a lot.
But in the more vaccinated states, you are starting to see the daily deaths get down
to and even below the number of daily deaths you typically see in a flu season.
That is very good news, and there is no question at this point that we are able to vaccinate
our way out of this.
So if you have kids in the 12 to 15 age range, I would love to hear from you.
How are you thinking of this new emergency use approval on 12 to 15 if you were vaccinated,
but you don't plan to have your kids get the vaccine.
Let me know why.
I'd be curious to hear from you.
And we'll have more about the vaccination effort on the show's Instagram page.
Make sure you're following us there at David Pakman show and make sure you're following
me on Instagram as well at David Pakman.
We'll take a quick break.
We will talk about the latest covid lab leak conspiracy's.
Dr. Foushee was confronted by Rand Paul or maybe Rand Paul was confronted by Dr. Fauci.
I don't know exactly.
We'll have to look at the video and decide for ourselves.
That'll be after this short break and much
more upcoming.