DOSES THAT WE’RE GOING TO GET.
>> THANK YOU.
I DIDN’T WANT ANY
MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THAT WITH
OUR VIEWERS.
>> THAT’S FINE.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT GETTING
BACK TO NORMAL.
AFTER MONTHS OF SUGGESTING LIFE
COULD BEGIN TO FEEL NORMAL BY
THE FALL WHEN THE AND THE
PRESIDENT SAID CHRISTMAS IN
ANOTHER INTERVIEW THIS WEEK YOU
SAID WE COULD HAVE A DEGREE OF
NORMALITY BY THE TIME WE ENTER
2022.
ARE WE NOW PROJECTING A LATER
DATE?
IS IT THE VARIANTS, THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE VACCINE
ROLLOUT, OTHER FACTORS?
>> YOU KNOW, ANDREA, I THINK --
HOPEFULLY IN OUR CONVERSATION
NOW WE COULD CLARIFY THAT.
WHEN YOU ASK ANYBODY -- ME OR
THE PRESIDENT OR THE DIRECTOR OF
CDC -- THIS IS NOT A
MATHEMATICAL FORMULA WHERE YOU
CAN SAY OH, I GET IT, FIVE PLUS
TEN.
IT’S A QUESTION OF PUREST MATS.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS IN PLAY
THAT COULD INFLUENCE.
AND THEN IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT
YOU MEAN BY "NORMAL."
WHAT DOES SOME FORM OF NORMALITY
MEAN?
WELL, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE VERY
STRINGENT PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES
IN TUNE NOW.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO ASK IS WHAT
ABOUT GETTING BACK TO A
SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN HAVE
THEATERS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO
HAVE BELOW CAPACITY, THAT
RESTAURANTS, INDOOR DINING CAN
BE HAPPENING BUT WITH MODERATELY
DIMINISHED CAPACITY?
THAT’S GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN THE FALL AND THE END OF
THE YEAR.
IF YOU’RE SAYING NO, NO, WAIT A
MINUTE, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW
WHEN IT’S GOING TO GET TO AS
CLOSE TO NORMAL HA YOU ALMOST
DON’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE,
MAYBE YOU’LL STILL HAVE TO WEAR
MASKS.
THAT LIKELY WILL BE, AS THE
PRESIDENT SAID, BY THE END OF
THE YEAR, BY CHRISTMAS.
BUT ANDREA, THESE ARE ALL
ESTIMATES.
AND SO MANY THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO
MODIFY THAT.
THAT’S THE REASON WHY WHEN YOU
ASK PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND
OTHERS, WE SAY "LIKELY," BECAUSE
IF IT WERE A MATHEMATICAL
FORMULA, I COULD GIVE YOU A REAL
NUMBER, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY
THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN,
INCLUDING ONE OF THE ONES YOU
MENTIONED, NAMELY THE VARNTDS
COULD COME IN AND WE MAY BE ABLE
TO SEE A SITUATION UNFORTUNATELY
WHERE YOU HAVE AN INCREASE OR A
LITTLE BLIP WHICH WOULD
INTERFERE WITH THAT TIME LINE.
SO I STILL HOLD THAT SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN THE FALL AND THE WINTER
WE’RE GOING TO WIND UP SEEING
IT.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT LIFE
AFTER VACCINATION.
FOR A LOT PEOPLE, THEY’RE
WONDERING -- YOU WERE SUGGESTING
THERE ARE SOME STUDIES THAT SHOW
THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO
ASYMPTOMATICALLY TRANSMIT IT TO
OTHER PEOPLE AFTER VACCINATION,
POSSIBLY.
IS THAT POSSIBLE?
IS THAT A REALISTIC EXPECTATION?
WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO IN THEIR
LIVES ONCE THEY’RE VACCINATED
SAFELY REGARDING THEIR CHILDREN,
THEIR PARENTS, AND OTHERS?
>> OKAY.
SO THAT’S REALLY A GOOD
QUESTION, ANDREA.
I TEND TO LOOK AT IT AND EXPLAIN
IT EVEN TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME
BESIDES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE
PRESS, IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT
IT, WHAT CAN YOU DO WITHIN YOUR
PARTICULAR PART, THE GROUP, YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY, VERSUS WHAT CAN
SOCIETY DO.
IT’S GOING TO REALLY DEPEND.
IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND YOU
ARE WITH SOMEONE WHO’S
VACCINATED, THE THINGS THAT YOU
CAN DO ARE MUCH, MUCH MORE
LIBERAL IN THE SENSE OF BEING --
PULLING BACK ON STRINGENT PUBLIC
HEALTH MEASURES VERSUS WHEN
YOU’RE OUT IN SOCIETY AND SAY,
WELL, WHAT CAN I DO OUT THERE IF
A VERY SMALL PROPORTION VERSUS A
MODERATE PROPORTION VERSUS AN
OVERWHELMING PROPORTION OF THE
POPULATION IS ALSO VACCINATED?
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU’RE
VACCINATED AND YOU HAVE A MEMBER
OF YOUR FAMILY VACCINATED,
SOMEONE THAT’S NOT LIVED WITH
YOU AND COME TO THEM, THEY WILL
SAY, WELL, CAN I ACTUALLY BE
WITH THEM WITHOUT A MASK?
CAN I SIT DOWN AND GIVE THEM A
HUG AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
AND THE ANSWER IS VERY LIKELY OF
COURSE YOU CAN.
BUT IF ONLY 10% OF SOCIETY IS
VACCINE NAPTED, YOU’RE NOT GOING
TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A RESTAURANT
OR TO A THEATER BECAUSE IT’S NOT
GOING TO BE OPENING.
SO THAT’S THE REASON WHY WHEN
YOU ASKED A VERY GOOD QUESTION,
IS THAT WHAT CAN WE DO WHEN WE