PFLUGER.
WE’RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AS A
MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS.
>> THANK YOU.
DAVID: AS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DISTRIBUTES THE
VRACIU,
VACCINE, THE IT’S UP TO THEM TO
GET THIS.
AND AS THE CONTAGIOUS STRAIN IS
IN THE U.K.
AND HOW WILL THEY STOP THE
SPREAD.
GOVERNOR POLIS, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
WE’RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THIS
FAST-SPREADING.
FASTER-SPREADING VERSION OF
COVID.
WHAT’S THE LATEST ON YOUR
ABILITY OR INABILITY TO TRACE
WHERE IT CAME FROM?
>> SO, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT
WE WERE THE FIRST TO FIND THE
VARIETY MOO HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
AND IT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S THE
ONLY STATE.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STRAINS
AND SADLY 2 OR 3,000 A DAY HERE
IN COLORADO COMING DOWN WITH
CORONAVIRUS.
IT’S STILL A MINORITY OF CASES.
WE’VE FOUND TWO TENTATIVE
IDENTIFICATIONS AND WE
IDENTIFIED ONE AND EXPECT
ANOTHER ONE SOON.
IT SPREADS QUICKLY AND QUICKLY
BECAME THE DOMINANT STRAIN AND
CROWDING OUT OTHER STRAINS
BECAUSE IT WAS MORE CONTAGIOUS.
DAVID: HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO
FIND OUT WHETHER IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT MUTATED HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES, THAT GREW
ORGANICALLY IN THE U.S. OR WAS
IMPORTED FROM THE U.K.?
>> MOST LIKELY THE LATTER.
I DON’T THINK SCIENTISTS WILL
KNOW DEFINITIVELY FOR SOME
TIME, BUT IT’S UNLIKELY, I’M
TOLD THAT AN IDENTICAL STRAIN
WOULD MUTATE TWICE THE SAME
WAY.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF COMMERCE
AND TRAVEL BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.
PEOPLE GO BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN NEW YORK, LONDON, SAN
FRANCISCO, TEXAS, LONDON ALMOST
EVERY DAY AND IT’S NOT
SURPRISED IT WASN’T
SUCCESSFULLY KEPT THERE.
>> WELL, THANK GOD THERE ARE
VACCINES AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH DOSES,
BUT OF THE 12 MILLION DOSES I’M
TOLD ONLY ABOUT 2.8 MILLION
HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED.
WHERE ARE THE LOG JAMS?
>> SO THE VACCINES ARE A
GODSEND AND WE’RE PRIORITIZING
70 AND UP RECEIVING THE VACCINE
AS WE SPEAK.
IT WILL TAKE ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE
WEEKS IN CURRENT SUPPLY LEVELS
FOR EVERYBODY 70 AND UP TO
RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
I’D PUT A COUPLE OF POINTS INTO
THAT.
HERE IN COLORADO WHAT WE DID,
WE SAID ANYBODY THAT WE PARTNER
WITH TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINES,
THAT MEANS HOSPITALS, COMMUNITY
HEALTH CLINICS, OTHERS, NEED TO
USE EVERY DOSE WE GIVE THEM
WITHIN 72 HOURS OR WE WILL
REASSIGN IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE
WHO WILL SO WE HAD TO USE THAT
KIND OF FIRM HAND TO MAKE SURE
THE DOSES ARE GETTING OUT AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS SOMEWHAT
ERRATIC WEEKLY SUPPLY FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT’S HARD TO BOOK PATIENTS AND
KNOW HOW MANY WE’RE GIVING WHEN
THE QUANTITIES CHANGE, THEY’RE
NOT DOUBLING OR GOING IN HALF,
BUT WHEN WE GO, OH, IT’S 30%
LESS, WE HAVE TO CANCEL THE
APPOINTMENTS AND ROLL THEM INTO
NEXT WEEK AND THE FOLLOWING
WEEK SO WE’RE HOPEFUL THERE’S
MORE RELIABLE FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
DAVID: THANK GOD WE HAVE THEM
AS YOU FIRST NOTED.
THERE’S SOME IRONY, SOME
GOVERNORS, NOT YOU, BUT
GOVERNORS LIKE GOVERNOR CUOMO
OBJECTED TO DIRECTIVES COMING
FROM WASHINGTON, EVEN FORMED
HIS OWN LITTLE F.D.A., A STATE
RUN F.D.A. TO APPROVE OF THE
VACCINE, NOT TRUSTING THE ONE
IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLAINTS
ABOUT DISTRIBUTION OF THE
VIRUS, HE’S ALL FOR DIRECTIVES
FROM WASHINGTON.
THERE’S A CONTRADICTION THERE,
ISN’T THERE?
>> WELL, I HAVEN’T BEEN
LISTENING TO WHAT EVERY
GOVERNOR HAS BEEN SAYING, BUT
I, FOR ONE, IS GRATEFUL WE’RE
ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AGE 70 AND
UP.
THE C.D.C. PUT OUT
RECOMMENDATIONS 75 AND UP.
BUT WE FOUND IN COLORADO IS
THAT 78% OF OUR FATALITIES FROM
CORONAVIRUS ARE AGE 70 AND UP.
DAVID: WOW.
>> ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE
GROUP WE CAN REDUCE FATALITIES
BY THREE QUARTERS.
THAT’S WHY WE’RE FOCUSED ON 70
AND UP AND THEN GO TO 60-69
AFTER THAT.
DAVID: GOOD FOR YOU.
I THINK MOST AMERICANS AGREE
THAT’S THE WAY IT HAS TO BE
PRIORITIZE.
.
WE WISH YOU THE BEST NOT ONLY