GETTING THE VACCINES OUT NOW
GLOBALLY AND WHAT A PATH BACK TO
NORMAL LIFE MIGHT ACTUALLY LOOK
LIKE.
MIKE, OVER THE COURSE OF THE
LAST YEAR, JOHNS HOPKINS,
BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
HEALTH, IN SOME WAYS IN TERMS OF
DATA COLLECTION AND TRACKING,
YOU HAVE ALMOST TAKEN THE PLACE
OF THE CDC.
DID YOU PREDICT IT WOULD BE THIS
BAD?
>> I DON’T KNOW THAT -- NUMBER
ONE, NOBODY KNEW.
IT ALWAYS HAD THE POTENTIAL, AND
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT
RESPOND THE WAY WE SHOULD HAVE.
PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ALL PUT ON
MASKS.
MOST PEOPLE DID NOT.
AND THAT’S THE FIRST THING.
A MASK WAS, YOU COULD ARGUE,
MORE IMPORTANT THAN A VACCINE.
AND PEOPLE DIDN’T DO IT.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT SICK AND
A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED.
MY BARBER GAVE ME A HAIRCUT.
THREE DAYS LATER INTO THE
HOSPITAL, CAME OUT IN A BOX TEN
DAYS LATER.
THIS IS A SERIOUS VIRUS, AND
NOBODY KNOWS WHEN IT’S GOING TO
GO AWAY.
NOBODY KNOWS AS IT MORPHS FROM
ONE STRAIN TO ANOTHER WHETHER OR
NOT THE VACCINES WE HAVE TODAY
WILL BE ADEQUATE THEN.
YOU CAN’T TAKE THESE THINGS AND
TREAT THEM LIGHTLY.
WE’RE PLAYING WITH PEOPLE’S
LIVES.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, OUR
GOVERNMENT DID NOT DO WHAT IT
COULD DO, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN FIND
PEOPLE ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN
THE CHAIN, THE GOVERNORS DIDN’T
DO WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN
MANY CASES, MAYORS DIDN’T DO
WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN
MANY CASES, THE HOSPITALS COULD
HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
WHEN EVERYBODY IS YELLING AND
SCREAMING AND PETRIFIED AND
PANICKING, THERE’S NO RIGHT
ANSWER.
AND SO IT’S EASY TO GO AND
CRITICIZE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION.
THAT’S JUST A CHEAP SHOT.
IT’S EASY TO SAY, WE SHOULDN’T
SEND VACCINE OVERSEAS.
YEAH, WAIT UNTIL SOME VACCINES
ARE ONLY MADE OVERSEAS AND WE
WANT THEM TO COME TO US.
AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU DIDN’T
SEND THEM TO US.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO SEND THEM TO
YOU.
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
THE WHOLE WORLD IS IN THIS
TOGETHER.
PEOPLE TRAVEL.
>> VACCINES ARE THE ANSWER, DR.
TEDROS, AND I KNOW W.H.O. DOES
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK ON
VACCINE EQUITY, MEANING HOW DO
WE GET VACCINES TO THE POOREST
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, HOW DO
PEOPLE HERE GET CONVINCED THAT
THAT’S A GOOD IDEA, ESPECIALLY
IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE WE
CAN’T GET ENOUGH VACCINES FOR
OURSELVES?
HOW DO YOU START TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO BE
SUPPLYING THEM TO OTHER
COUNTRIES?
>> IT’S AN ECONOMY PROBLEM
BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
WILL NOT BE FASTER IF WE VACCINE
SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD BUT NOT
THE REST BECAUSE IN A GLOBALIZED
ECONOMY, WE WILL NOT HAVE GLOBAL
RECOVERY.
SO THE LIVELIHOODS, EVEN IN THE
RICH COUNTRIES, WILL NOT RETURN
TO NORMALCY.
AND WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP
THE PANDEMIC.
SO MODERN BANKRUPTCY, ECONOMY
PROBLEMS WILL CONTINUE, THE
PANDEMIC WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED
IF WE DON’T SHARE VACCINES.
SO WHAT WE’RE SAYING TO THE
WEALTHY COUNTRIES IS THAT
SHARING ACTUALLY IS IN YOUR BEST
INTEREST.
>> CERTAINLY IN AMERICA, I DON’T
THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A
SHORTAGE OF VACCINES.
IT’S NOT THE SPLAYUPPLY SIDE.
IT’S COMING ON.
MACHINES ARE GETTING FASTER AND
THEY’RE DELIVERING THEM.
NOT QUICK ENOUGH BUT IT’S
COMING.
YOU’LL HAVE PLENTY OF VACCINE.
OUR PROBLEM IS THE DEMAND SIDE,
THERE’S A AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE
VACCINE.
ANTI-VAXXERS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE
OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS.
IF EVERYBODY DOESN’T GET IT,
THEN THERE’S PEOPLE OUT THERE
THAT CAN INFECT OTHERS.
SO IT MAY NOT BE A SUPPLY
PROBLEM AS MUCH AS A DEMAND
PROBLEM.
NOW, YOU GO TO THE LESS
DEVELOPED WORLD AND THEN IT’S
CERTAINLY GOING TO BE A SUPPLY
PROBLEM BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE
SO BIG AND IT’S GOING TO TAKE A
WHILE TO GET THERE.
>> I DON’T KNOW, MIKE, WE’RE
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, THERE’S
AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD
LOVE TO GET A VACCINE AND WE
DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO IT ET WHY.
YOU WERE ONCE MAYOR OF THIS
CITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY OUR
CITIES AND STATES ARE ACTUALLY
GETTING THEM IN PEOPLE’S ARMS,
DO YOU THINK WE’RE DOING IT
RIGHT?
>> I’M NOT IN OFFICE ANYMORE,
OKAY.
I HAVE CRITICIZED THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, I HAVE CRITICIZED
THE STATE GOVERNMENTS, AND I
HAVE CRITICIZED THE CITY
GOVERNMENTS.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DAY ONE
IS TURN IT OVER TO THE
PROFESSIONALS.
WHO ARE THE PROFESSIONALS WHO
KNOW HOW TO DISTRIBUTE DRUGS AND
VACCINES AND THAT SORT OF THING?
THEY’RE THE BIG PHARMACY
COMPANIES.
YOU JUST HIRE THEM.
WE’VE DONE SOME OF THAT ALREADY
BUT IT’S BEGRUDGING TO TURN IT
OVER.
EVERY GOVERNOR WANTS TO BE ABLE
TO STAND UP THERE AND SAY I’M
MAKING A DECISION IN TERMS OF
WHETHER YOU CAN OPEN YOUR
RESTAURANT, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU
CAN PUT IN YOUR RESTAURANT.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UP TO
THE GOVERNORS.
THAT’S WHERE YOU HAVE HEALTH
EXPERTS AND WE’RE NOT TURNING TO
THE HEALTH EXPERTS AND THE
HEALTH EXPERTS ARE THE W.H.O.,
CDC, THE BIG PHARMACY COMPANIES,
THE DRUGSTORE COMPANIES.
WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.
WE JUST ARE UNWILLING TO TURN IT
OVER AND LET THE DELIVERY OF THE
VACCINE BE IN THE HANDS OF THE
PROFESSIONALS.
>> BUT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WOULD
SAY THAT THE PHARMACY COMPANIES,
FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE ARE
BUSINESSES, DO YOU PUT THAT IN
THE HANDS OF BUSINESSES?
DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNORS DON’T
WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR THEIR STATE
>>.
>> STEPHANIE, YOU, IF ANYBODY,
SHOULD UNDERSTAND CAPITALISM
REALLY DOES WORK.
IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE AN INCENTIVE
TO DO SOMETHING, THEY’RE GOING
TO DO IT.
OUR HEALTHP HOSPITAL AND HOSPITA
IS BASED ON CAPITALISM.
WE CHARGE AND PEOPLE GET BETTER
HOSPITALS AND IMPROVED HEALTH
CARE.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH EXPERTS WHO
KNOW HOW TO DISTRIBUTE STUFF?
IF YOU’RE AFRAID TO GO TO YOUR
DRUGSTORES AND BUY COSMETICS OR
DRUGS OR WHATEVER THINGS YOU
SELL, I GUESS YOU CAN, BUT I
DON’T THINK YOU REALLY WANT TO
DO THAT.
THESE ARE THE PROFESSIONALS.
>> THE REASON PEOPLE WOULDN’T
SAY LEAN ON CAPITALISM BECAUSE
IT WHO HELPS THE POOREST?
IF YOU PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF
BUSINESS, WHO’S GOING TO CARE --
>> THAT’S JUST NOT TRUE.
YOU GIVE THEM AN INCENTIVE TO
DELIVER IT TO DIFFERENT GROUPS
IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN
DIFFERENT MANNERS.
CAPITALISM REALLY WORKS.
YOU JUST SAY TO CVS OR WALMART
OR WALGREENS, THIS IS WHAT WE
WANT YOU TO DO.
IF YOU WANT THE BUSINESS, HERE
ARE THE RULES.
AND THEY DELIVER ENORMOUS
QUANTITIES OF DRUGS ALL THE TIME
WITH VERY FEW ERRORS.
>> MIKE, YOU RUN A GLOBAL
BUSINESS.
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS MAKE THAT
DIFFICULT.
WORKING FROM HOME MAKES THAT
DIFFICULT.
>> YES.
>> HOW LONG WILL WE BE IN AN
OFFICE LIKE THIS AND IT BE
RELATIVELY EMPTY?
>> WELL, SOME BUSINESSES ARE
VERY GOOD.
SOME BUSINESSES YOU CAN DO IT
REMOTELY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
I’M A BELIEVER THAT LONG TERM
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WORKING
TOGETHER FACE TO FACE.
ZOOM IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE
WATER COOLER.
AND WE ARE GETTING THERE.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO COME
BACK.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS TO OPEN
SCHOOLS AND HE’S ALREADY GETTING
PUSHBACK.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT WE’RE
DOING TO POOR KIDS IS A
DISGRACE.
THESE POOR KIDS ARE NOT IN
SCHOOL.
THEY WILL NEVER RECOVER FROM
THIS.
AND THEY HAD A BAD EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE ANYWAYS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD GOOD SCHOOLS FOR
POOR KIDS.
THIS NOW IS SO MUCH WORSE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS TO STAND UP TO
THE UNIONS.
>> THE TEACHERS’ UNIONS?
>> YES, TEACHERS’ UNIONS.
TEACHERS SAY, WELL, I DON’T WANT
TO GO BACK BECAUSE IT’S
DANGEROUS.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF CITY AND STATE
AND FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO RUN
RISKS.
THAT’S PART OF A JOB.
YOU RUN RISKS TO HELP AMERICA,
TO HELP YOUR STATE, TO HELP YOUR
CITY, TO HELP YOUR FAMILY.
AND THERE’S JUST NO REASON NOT
TO HAVE THE SCHOOLS OPEN.
THE VIRTUAL CLASSES ARE A JOKE.
IT IS WORSE THAN A JOKE.
POOR PEOPLE DON’T HAVE iPADS,
THEY DON’T HAVE WI-FI, THEY
DON’T HAVE SOMEBODY AT HOME TO
SIT DURING THE DAY AND FORCE THE
CHILD TO PAY ATTENTION.
WITHOUT THAT, THE VIRTUAL
LEARNING JUST DOES NOT EXIST.
AND TEACHERS’ UNIONS YOU SEE IN
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK WE’VE HAD
PROBLEMS.
IT’S TIME FOR JOE BIDEN TO STAND
UP AND SAY, THE KIDS ARE THE
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
AND IMPORTANT PLAYERS HERE.
AND THE TEACHERS JUST ARE GOING
TO HAVE TO SUCK IT UP AND STAND
UP AND PROVIDE AN EDUCATION.
OTHERWISE, THESE KIDS HAVE NO
CHANCE WHATSOEVER, STEPHANIE.
IT IS A DAFTERISASTER WHAT’S
HAPPENING TO THEM.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
SITUATION WE’RE IN, WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION, THERE’S BEEN A LOT
OF CRITICISM IT’S TOO
BUREAUCRATIC AN ORGANIZATION,
IT’S WHY POTENTIALLY IT TOOK SO
LONG TO ACTUALLY CALL THIS
PANDEMIC WHAT IT WAS IN TERMS OF
THE GLOBAL EMERGENCY.
DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES AT
THE W.H.O. TO PREPARE US FOR THE
NEXT SITUATION?
>> YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FIRST OF ALL, THE DECLARATION
FROM W.H.O., THE HIGHEST LEVEL
OF GLOBAL EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED
ON JANUARY 30th.
THIS IS A MONTH AFTER WE GOT THE
FIRST NOTIFICATION, AFTER
INVITING AN EMERGENCY COMMITTEE
THAT ACTUALLY IS COMPOSED OF
EXPERTS FROM MANY COUNTRIES.
THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO WORK
FOR W.H.O.
THESE ARE INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS,
AND BASED ON THEIR ADVICE, WE
DECLARED THE EMERGENCY ON
JANUARY 30th.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE EMERGENCY
DECLARATION WAS ACTUALLY ON
TIME.
WE DON’T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS
A DELAY, BUT ANYONE CAN HAVE A
LOOK.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, AFTER THE
DECLARATION, WE HAD BEEN SAYING
THIS VIRUS IS DANGEROUS.
>> WHETHER ARE WE GOING TO GET
BACK TO OUR REAL LIVES?
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET BACK TO
OUR PRE-PANDEMIC LIVES?
>> IT’S HAPPENING NOW IN NEW
YORK CITY.
TRAFFIC IS BETTER EACH DAY.
STORES ARE BEGINNING TO OPEN.
FEBRUARY 14th WE’RE GOING TO
OPEN THE RESTAURANTS, AT LEAST
TO 25% OF THEIR CAPACITY.
AND THAT WILL QUICKLY GO BECAUSE
THE PUBLIC IS JUST GOING TO
DEMAND THIS.
THE GOVERNOR, I’M SURE HE WANTS
TO DO WHAT’S RIGHT AND WE KEEP
PEOPLE FROM CATCHING THINGS BUT
WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ECONOMY TOO.
AND I WROTE A NASTY EDITORIAL
ABOUT ONE OF THE COMPANIES WHO
SAID TO THEIR PEOPLE, YOU DON’T
HAVE TO COME BACK FOR A YEAR.
AND I TALK ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT ALL
OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WHO DEPENDED ON
YOUR COMPANY AND ITS EMPLOYEES
TO PATRONIZE THE RESTAURANTS AND
SHOESHINERS AND CLEANING AND THE
CAB DRIVERS AND ALL OF THAT SORT
OF STUFF?
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND WE’VE JUST GOT TO GO AND
BUILD THE ECONOMY BACK.
IT IS JUST WAITING TO COME BACK.
PEOPLE STILL WANT TO WORK WITH
EACH OTHER.
I’M SURE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE
WHO HAVE LEFT NEW YORK AND LEFT
LONDON AND OTHER BIG CITIES.
BUT THE VAST BULK OF PEOPLE KNOW
BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE CULTURE
HAPPENS, THIS IS WHERE COMMERCE
HAPPENS.
THIS IS WHERE MEDICINES GET
DEVELOPED.
THIS IS THE FUTURE OF AMERICA
AND OF THE WORLD.
AND THERE’S NO REASON TO THINK
THAT WE AREN’T GOING TO GO RIGHT
BACK, PICK IT UP.
IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE WHILE.
NOT SUGGESTING BROADWAY IS NOT
GOING TO COME BACK FOR ANOTHER
YEAR BECAUSE YOU REALLY DO HAVE
TO GET EVERYBODY VACCINATED OR