TWO OF THE BEST PEOPLE ON THE
PLANET TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION
WITH.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR SPENDING TIME
WITH US.
>>> WERE GOING TO TURN BACK TO
OUR BREAKING NEWS THIS HOUR ON
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE
CORONAVIRUS.
THE FDA HAS AUTHORIZED THE
PFIZER VACCINE FOR EMERGENCY USE
IN KIDS AGES 12 TO 15, PAVING
THE WAY FOR MILLIONS MORE
AMERICANS TO GET VACCINATED.
JOINING OUR CONVERSATION,
DR. MICHAEL ANDERSON, A
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE
PHYSICIAN AND SENIOR ADVISOR
WITH THE CHILDRENS NATIONAL
HOSPITAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE
PANDEMIC, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT KIDS AND COVID,
WHETHER IN THE CONTEXT OF
CLASSROOMS OR WHETHER THEY CAN
GET SICK.
THIS SEEMS LIKE A HUGE, HUGE,
HUGE DEAL FOR THE COUNTRYS
FIGHT AGAINST COVID AND FOR
PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED
FOR THE BETTER PART OF 14
MONTHS.
>> NICOLE, THIS IS A HISTORIC
MOMENT, AND YOU AND I, AS YOU
SAID, HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
KIDS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THIS.
THE THOUGHTS THAT KIDS WERE
IMMUNE, KIDS WERENT INFECTED,
THATS JUST FALSE.
WE KNOW THAT THERES 300
FAMILIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY
THAT HAVE LOST CHILDREN TO THIS.
WE KNOW THAT KIDS ARE CARRIERS.
WE KNOW, THANK GOD, THAT KIDS
SEEM TO GET LESS ILL FROM THIS
DISEASE, BUT WE ARE NEVER GOING
TO GET BACK TO A STATE OF
NORMALCY, WERE NOT GOING TO
ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR KIDS
UNTIL THE VACCINE CAN PROTECT
THEM AS WELL.
SO, THE FACT THAT WERE NOW
GOING DOWN TO AGE 12 WITH PFIZER
THROUGH THE EUA, THIS IS
LITERALLY A HISTORIC MOMENT
WHERE FAMILIES AND PEDIATRICIANS
AND CHILD ADVOCATES ARE
CELEBRATING.
>> SO, TELL ME WHAT PEOPLE
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE
THOROUGHNESS OF THESE TRIALS.
AND I ASK THAT AS SOMEONE VERY
AWARE THAT WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY
WITH, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME
POLITICALLY INFLUENCED BELIEF
SYSTEMS AROUND VACCINE SAFETY.
JUST GIVE US THE FACTS.
>> YEAH.
WE DO KNOW THAT, UNFORTUNATELY,
IT HAS BECOME POLITICIZED AND I
CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FDA HAS
PUT THESE VACCINES THROUGH A
VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS.
THEY HAVE APPROVED THEM UNDER
WHATS CALLED AN EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION, MEANING THAT THE
EVIDENCE FAR SHOWS BENEFITS
OUTWEIGHING ANY MINIMAL SIDE
EFFECTS OR MINIMAL DOWNSIDE TO
THEM, AND THE FACT THAT ONCE
AGAIN WERE ABLE TO GET THESE
VACCINES INTO MORE KIDS BRINGS
US BACK TO NORMALCY.
WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MORE
RESEARCH BECAUSE WHAT ABOUT THE
11-YEAR-OLDS?
WHAT ABOUT THE 10-YEAR-OLDS?
ONCE AGAIN, IF WERE GOING TO BE
AN IMMUNIZED COMMUNITY, WEVE
GOT TO GET MORE AND MORE KIDS
VACCINATED, AND I KNOW THE
COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THESE
ARE SAFE VACCINES.
YOU KNOW, PFIZER BEING THE FIRST
ONE APPROVED FOR KIDS AS YOUNG
AS 12, AND THE SECOND THING I
WOULD SAY, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED
ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY, I THINK
ITS REALLY IMPORTANT, LIKE
PEDIATRICIANS AND FAMILY
MEDICINE DOCS AND NURSE
PRACTITIONERS DO EVERY DAY, THAT
FAMILIES RELY ON THEIR MEDICAL
HOME.
LETS TALK ABOUT THIS VACCINE.
LETS TALK ABOUT IF ITS RIGHT
FOR MY KID.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT
PEDIATRICIAN AFTER PEDIATRICIAN
ARE LINING UP TO SAY, LETS HAVE
THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS
IS A REALLY IMPORTANT DAY.
>> I HAVE TO SAY, MY
PEDIATRICIAN HAS NOT BEEN WRONG
ABOUT ANYTHING ALL YEAR.
THEY DO.
THEY LOOK AT THE FAMILY AND THEY
LOOK AT THE CHILD.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
ACTUAL VACCINE.
IS IT A SMALLER DOSE, A LESSER
DOSE, IS IT STILL TWO DOSES, OR
WAS IT JUST -- WAS THE TRIAL
JUST TO MAKE SURE IT ALSO WORKED
IN KIDS?
>> ITS TWO DOSES, LIKE EVERYONE
ELSE -- IM SORRY, LIKE THE
ADULTS OVER THE AGE THAT HAVE
GOTTEN PFIZER, SO IT IS TWO
DOSES.
I THINK THERES STILL AN UNKNOWN
OUT THERE, WHETHER YOURE AN
ADULT, AND I HAVE HAD TWO DOSES
OF THE OTHER ONE, THE MODERNA.
WHATS THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF A
BOOSTER?
ARE WE GOING TO GET TO A ONCE A
YEAR BOOSTER?
BUT IT IS TWO VACCINES.
IT IS THE SAME DOSE FOR KIDS 12
AND UP, BUT YOU RAISE A REALLY
GOOD POINT, NOW FOR THE YOUNGER
KIDS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY SMALLER,
HAVE LESS BODY WEIGHT, WERE
GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
THE SAFE DOSE IS FOR THOSE KIDS,
BUT IT IS TWO DOSES.
AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK WEVE
GOT AN INTERESTING QUESTION TO
ASK US MOVING FORWARD, NOT JUST
FOR KIDS BUT FOR ADULTS AND
KIDS, WHATS THIS WHOLE NOTION
OF A BOOSTER.
HOW DO WE GET BACK TO SOME
SEMBLANCE WHERE THIS FEELS LIKE
INFLUENZA WHERE YEP, NOW ITS
THE FALL AND I GET MY FLU
VACCINE.
I THINK THAT WILL BE A TIME TO
CELEBRATE TOO.
>> SO, THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE HAS
JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THIS CAN
HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY, THAT IF
THERE ARE DOSES, THEY CAN NOW BE
ADMINISTERED TODAY.
YOU CAN TAKE YOUR 12, 13, 14, OR
15-YEAR-OLD TO GET A VACCINE.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU RECOMMEND?
>> I DO.
CHILDRENS HOSPITALS AND
PEDIATRICIANS ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY HAVE BEEN REVVING UP FOR
THIS MOMENT, SO WE HAVE DOSE.
I KNOW HERE IN THE D.C.,
MARYLAND, VIRGINIA AREA, THERE
ARE SEVERAL CENTERS THAT ARE
READY TO VACCINATE KIDS OVER 12,
SO I SAY, GET IN LINE NOW.
FIGURE OUT WITH YOUR
PEDIATRICIAN HOW TO GET THIS
DOSE.
THIS IS GOING TO GET US BACK TO
A MUCH MORE NORMAL STATE.
ITS GOING TO GET US BACK TO A
FALL, WHAT FEELS LIKE A FALL IN
SCHOOL.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE STILL HAVE
WORK TO DO ON THE YOUNGER KIDS,
BUT GETTING KIDS DOWN TO 12
VACCINATED, THIS IS JUST SO
HISTORIC.
>> AND I THINK THAT WHAT IM
BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT
WHEN YOU LOOK AT COUNTRIES LIKE
ISRAEL WHERE TRANSMISSION HAS
BEEN EXTINGUISHED, IT IS IN
GETTING YOUR NUMBERS UP TO THAT
HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
HOW INSTRUMENTAL IS IT TO
REACHING OUR NUMBERS TO GET KIDS
AS PART OF THE VACCINATED
POPULATION?
>> ITS SO HUGE, BECAUSE AS I
SAID, WEVE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF
DATA SINCE THIS CAME OUT, RIGHT?
WE KNOW KIDS ARE TRANSMITTERS.
WE KNOW THAT WITHIN A HOUSEHOLD,
A CHILD, THANK GOD, DOESNT HAVE
TYPICALLY THE SAME SEVERE
SYMPTOMS AS ADULTS DO, BUT WE
KNOW THAT THEYRE TRANSMITTERS,
SO IF WERE GOING TO GET TO THIS
NOTION OF HERD IMMUNITY, KIDS
ARE 22% OF THE POPULATION.
THEYRE PROBABLY THE MOST
IMPORTANT PART OF THE FAMILY.
SO, GETTING CHILDREN TO BE A
PART OF THIS IMMUNIZATION WAVE,
IF YOU WILL, IS SO VITAL.
ITS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A COUPLE
TIMES ABOUT THE UNFORTUNATE,
RARE THING CALLED MULTISYSTEM
INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME IN
CHILDREN.
AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO FROM
PREVENTING THE SPREAD, THATS
GOING TO DO TWO OTHER THINGS.
ITS GOING TO DECREASE THE
ABILITY OF VARIANTS TO EMERGE,
AND WEVE TALKED ABOUT VARIANTS
OVER THIS TIME.
AND HOPEFULLY, ITS ALSO GOING
TO DECREASE THAT RARE BUT REALLY
HEARTBREAKING NUMBER OF KIDS
THAT GET THIS MULTISYSTEM
INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME.
SO, SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THE
HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THE
POPULATION, WERE GOING TO GET
BACK TO FEELING NORMAL.
>> IM SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED
THAT ALMOST 300 AMERICAN
FAMILIES HAVE LOST THEIR
CHILDREN TO COVID, AND I
REMEMBER -- I THINK I REACHED
OUT TO YOU WITH MY TERROR
READING ABOUT THE INFLAMMATORY
SYNDROME THAT AFFECTED KIDS.
THERE WERE A LOT IN NEW YORK.
I READ IT IN MY LOCAL PAPER AND
SAW IT ON THE LOCAL NEWS.
CAN YOU TALK TOO ABOUT THE
MENTAL HEALTH TOLL THAT THE
PANDEMIC HAS TAKEN ON KIDS.
MY SON STILL LEARNS REMOTELY.
THIS SEEMS TO END THE DEBATE
ABOUT INCLASSROOM LEARNING.
EVERYONE GOES BACK TO THE
CLASSROOM NOW.
>> ITS SO HUGE.
WEVE KNOWN IN THE WORLD OF
CHILD ADVOCACY THAT THE DEMAND
FOR PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE
SERVICES FAR OUTPACES THE
SUPPLY.
THAT WAS TRUE GOING INTO THE
PANDEMIC, AND NOW THE NUMBER OF
CHILDREN THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM
ANXIETY, SUFFERING FROM
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER,
YOU KNOW, WEVE BEEN TELLING
THEM TO MASK, WHICH IS REALLY
APPROPRIATE, BUT NOW THEYRE SO
SCARED OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS, SO
THE MENTAL HEALTH TOLL IS JUST
ASTRONOMICAL WITH THIS, AND I
THINK ITS TERRIFIC WEVE GOT
KIDS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL.
I KEEP SAYING WE HAVE A
GENERATION AT RISK THAT ARE
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, SO WE, AS
A WHOLE OF SOCIETY, SCHOOLS
ALONE CANT FIX THIS.
CHILDRENS HOSPITALS AND
PEDIATRICIANS CANT FIX IT.
BUT WE HAVE TO REALIZE THE
NUMBER OF KIDS THAT ARE
SUFFERING FROM THIS PANDEMIC IS
ASTRONOMICAL.
I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF MY
RESIDENCY COLLEAGUES ON A GROUP
TEXT MESSAGE AND THEY HAVE --
MOST OF THEM ARE GENERAL
PEDIATRICIANS.
THEY HAVE INFORMED ME OF THE
TERRIBLE CASES OF
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
AND ANXIETY.
SO, ITS TERRIFIC THE VACCINE IS
HERE.
BUT YOUR POINT IS SO WELL TAKEN.
THIS ENTIRE GENERATION OF KIDS
IS AT RISK.
>> SO, WE ARE COVERING THE
BREAKING NEWS, THE FDA HAS
AUTHORIZED FOR EMERGENCY USE,
THE PFIZER VACCINE IN KIDS AGES
12 TO 15.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR
YOU, DR. ANDERSON.
>> SURE.
>> WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN
TERMS OF VACCINATING THE
YOUNGERS?
YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO GET THE
KINDERGARTEN AND UP, BETWEEN
SORT OF 5 AND 12 VACCINATED?
WHATS THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
WHATS THE HORIZON?
>> ITS A REAL COORDINATED
EFFORT BETWEEN THE
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES THAT
WANT TO STUDY YOUNGER KIDS,
ACTUALLY, POTENTIALLY, DOWN TO
AGE 6 MONTHS.
ITS THEN A COORDINATION WITH
THE FDA, HOW DO WE DESIGN THESE
STUDIES, WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES,
HOW DO WE ASSURE THAT THERES
SAFETY?
AND THEN ITS THE CHILDRENS
HOSPITALS AND ACADEMIC CENTERS
AND, QUITE FRANKLY, PEDIATRICIAN
OFFICERS.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEDIATRICIANS
THAT ARE ANXIOUS TO HELP STUDY
WHATS THE SAFE DOSE, HOW
EFFECTIVE IS IT, AND THEYRE
REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS YOU ASKED
IN THE BEGINNING.
HOW MANY DOSES ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT?
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOUNGER KIDS
HAVE DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGY, BUT
WEVE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE
LAST DECADE.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH IN
GENERAL TO HELP SUPPORT
CHILDRENS HEALTH HAS REALLY
COME TO A MUCH BETTER PLACE, SO
THERE ARE ALREADY NETWORKS IN
PLACE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY TO
STUDY DOWN TO, AS I SAID,
THEYRE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY
SIX-MONTH-OLDS.
I COME BACK TO THE FLU ANALOGY.
WE RECOMMEND FLU VACCINE DOWN TO
AGE 6 MONTHS, SO CAN WE GET A
COVID VACCINE THAT, OF COURSE,
IS SAFE, THAT IS EFFECTIVE, BUT
THEN ALLOWS US TO SAY, YEAH,