>> IT IS THURSDAY, WHICH MEANS WE’RE GETTING OUR BIGGEST COVID QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH DOCTOR
RUTH BERGGREN INFECTIOUS
DISEASE SPECIALIST, THE LONG
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH
SAN ANTONIO DOCTOR, THANKS AS
ALWAYS FOR TAKING THE TIME
WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHERE
YOU ARE
COMING UP IN JUST A FEW
MINUTES, BUT I WANT TO
START WITH THE TOPIC OF BOOSTER
SHOTS, WE KNOW WE’RE STILL
TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO GET OUT
AND GET THEIR FIRST DOSE OF THE
VACCINE. THOSE WHO HAVEN’T
GOTTEN IT YET. BUT WE’RE
HEARING FROM VIEWERS WHO ARE
NOW 6 MONTHS OR CLOSE TO IT
THERE. 6 MONTHS OUT FROM THE
BEING FULLY VACCINATED SO
THEY’RE WONDERING ARE THEY
GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A BOOSTER
SHOT IS IT TIME FOR THAT WHAT
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT
TOPIC SO EVERYBODY SHOULD
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION
SOON ALL OF US THINK THAT THERE
WILL PROBABLY BE A NEED FOR
ANOTHER SHOT, ANOTHER
BOOSTER SHOT.
>> AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE
ABOUT A YEAR AFTER YOU GOT YOUR
FIRST ONE.
SO FAR WE HAVEN’T GOTTEN ANY
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON THAT
SO PLEASE DON’T START COMING TO
OUR VACCINATION SITES FOR A
BOOSTER JUST YET. THE OTHER
THING THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW
IS THAT IT DOES NOT HELP TO GO
AND GET AN ANTIBODY TEST TO TRY
TO DECIDE IF YOU NEED ANOTHER
SHOT, THERE’S NO CORRELATION
AND THERE’S
NO GUIDANCE TO USE ANTIBODY
TESTING TO DETERMINE THE NEED
FOR ANOTHER SHOT, SO THE BOTTOM
LINE IS YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING
TO NEED A BOOSTER, NOT JUST YET
HOLD ON PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AFTER YOU GOT YOUR FIRST SHOT. DOCTOR BERGER I WANT YOU
TO TALK.
>> FIRST OF ALL ABOUT WHERE YOU
ARE AND WHAT’S GOING ON AND
SECONDLY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SOME
STATES AND CITIES
THAT ARE GIVING INCENTIVES LIKE
A A WATERY YOU KNOW THAT YOU
CAN WIN IF YOU GET VACCINATED
YOU CAN TAKE A COUPLE LAPS
AROUND TALLADEGA SPEEDWAY IF
YOU GET VACCINATED
DO YOU THINK THOSE THINGS ARE
HELPFUL AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE.
>> I WOULDN’T WANT
TO INCENTIVIZE ARE WHOLE
POPULATION TO JUST WAIT UNTIL
SOMEONE COMES WITH
A CHECK TO HAVE THEM GO AND GET
A VACCINE. I THINK THE REAL
REASON TO GO GET VACCINATED IS
WE WANT TO BE PROTECTED.
WE DON’T WE WANT TO GET AHEAD
OF THAT MUTANT VARIANTS WE WANT
TO GET TO HERD IMMUNITY, WE’RE
NOT THERE YET WE’RE
APPROACHING IT. THESE ARE ALL
THE REASONS WE WANT TO PROTECT
OUR FAMILIES AND OUR LOVED ONES
BUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT JUST
KIND OF HAVEN’T GOTTEN AROUND
TO IT AND THEY JUST NEED A
LITTLE EXTRA KICK IN THE PANTS
TO GO GET IT DONE. I DON’T
SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH AN
UNSCENTED IT WOULD ONLY BE A
PROBLEM ETHICALLY IF THE
WE’RE NOT DISTRIBUTED MONTHS
POPULATIONS OR IF THE
INCENTIVES WERE
SO HIGH THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE
POOR FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T
REFUSE IT BECAUSE THAT BECOMES
THEN COERCIVE.
>> DOCTOR TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU
ARE RIGHT NOW WHAT’S YOUR YOUR
MISSION OUT THERE THIS EVENING.
>> SO I AM PART OF UT MOBILE VACCINE ADMINISTRATION UNIT, THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT ALL OF
US ARE REALLY PUTTING A LOT OF
ENERGY INTO IT WE’RE QUITE
PROUD OF WE
PARTNER WITH PEOPLE IN THE
COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE
ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OR
PEOPLE WHO REACH OUT TO TODAY
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM WHAT’S
BEHIND ME I’M AT THE NOW WORD
COVENANT CHURCH ON NACOGDOCHES
AND I WAS ACTUALLY INVITED TO
COME HERE AND PROVIDE TOWN HALL
INFORMATION TO THE CONGREGANTS
I WAS HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE
DOCTOR LARK FOR WORD FROM THE
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND WE DID A
TOWN HALL
MEETING WITH PEOPLE FROM THIS
CHURCH RIGHT AFTER THE CHURCH
SERVICE THIS PAST SUNDAY AND
THEN WE WERE INVITED TO COME ON
SITE AND WE’RE DOING A VACCINE
DRIVE-THRU SO THE VAT I’M
INDOORS IN THE AIR CONDITION,
THE VACCINE IS ACTUALLY OUT
UNDER SOME CANOPIES IN THE
PARKING LOT OF THIS CHURCH
AND WE HAVE A NICE SHE DID
PLACE FOR THE VACCINATED PEOPLE
TO SIT AND WAIT AFTER THEY’VE
HAD THEIR VACCINE. WE’VE GOT
NURSES AND WE’VE GOT OUR ARE
YOU TO HELP FAN AND WE’RE
GIVING PFIZER WHICH MEANS THAT
WE’LL BE BACK HERE IN 21 DAYS
FOR THE SECOND DOSE FOR
EVERYBODY GOT VACCINATED HERE
TODAY.
>> THAT’S EXCITING I WANT TO
GET QUICKLY TO SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE
FOR YOU DO VACCINATED
EIGHTY-YEAR-OLD NEED TO BE MORE
CAUTIOUS ABOUT UNMASKING
AND DISTANCING THEN OTHERS THAN
THE REST OF THE POPULATION, I
GUESS THAT.
>> IF EVERYBODY REMEMBERS
THE CDC GUIDELINES FOR WHAT
SAFE AND
NOT SAFE. VACCINATED VERSUS
UNVACCINATED THE COLOR-CODED
CHARTS THAT CIRCULATING
THEY DON’T HAVE ANY DISTINCTION
BY AGE SO THERE IS NO
SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ABOUT PEOPLE
THAT ARE OLDER THAN 80. BUT
I’LL TELL YOU SOME RESEARCH IS
COMING OUT AND HAS BEEN
PUBLISHED AND VERY CREDIBLE
INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNALS
LOOKING AT THE TIGERS
OF ANTIBODIES. THAT’S WHAT YOU
MEAN DEFENSE THAT SOLICITED BY
VACCINE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE
NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY TIGERS.
OUR LOWER OR
LESS LIKELY TO BE
ELICITED IN THE ELDERLY IN
PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 80 NOW
THAT’S NOT THE ONLY PARAMETER
THAT MATTERS AND THERE’S OTHER
FORMS OF IMMUNITY BESIDES
NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY THEIR
CELL RELATED IMMUNITY, BUT IT
MAKES US BE A LITTLE CONCERNED
THAT WE BEAT ME TO WATCH THIS
OLDER POPULATION VERY
CAREFULLY. WE KNOW THAT THERE
ARE SOME LESS HEALTHY IMMUNE
SYSTEM PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE WITH
SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTS FOR
INSTANCE WHO ARE NOT
FULLY PROTECTED FROM THE
VACCINE AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO
MIGHT BE ON
MEDICINES THAT. SUPPRESS THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM THOSE PEOPLE
MIGHT NOT GET FULLY PROTECTED
FROM THE VACCINE. WHAT THIS
MEANS IS WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL
AROUND THOSE PEOPLE SO IF YOU
GO TO THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE, YOU
KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO BE AROUND
OLDER FOLKS AROUND PEOPLE WHO
MAY HAVE CANCER
MAYBE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED FOR MANY
REASONS WE SHOULD ALL BE
WEARING OUR MASKS AROUND THOSE
PEOPLE AND WE NEED TO BE
WATCHING NUMBER WE’RE NOT VERY
FAR INTO THIS WHOLE
VACCINATIONS STORY I GOT
VACCINATED IN DECEMBER HASN’T
BEEN A YEAR YET WE’RE STILL
LEARNING. BUT WE WORRY
THAT OLDER FOLKS OR PEOPLE WHO
ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED MAY HAVE LESS PROTECTION FROM THE VACCINE THAN THE REST OF US AND
IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
WANT TO WEAR MASKS.
WHEN WE GO TO DOCTORS OFFICES
AS WELL AS HOSPITALS AND
NURSING HOMES.
>> DOCTOR I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT WHAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR
ABOUT COMING OUT OF INDIA JUST
THE INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE THAT
THEY ARE FACING WITH COVID-19
AND WE KNOW THAT WE’VE SEEN
WHAT’S PLAYED OUT IN OTHER
COUNTRIES MAKE ITS WAY TO THE
U.S. IN SOME CASES SO IS THERE
AN ISSUE WITH
POSSIBLY WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
INDIA, THE THEY’RE AFFECTING US
HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
>> SO IT REALLY SHOULD BE A
CONCERN, I’M HAPPY TO REPORT
THAT INDIA LOOKS LIKE THEY
PEAKED.
>> IN TERMS OF THEIR SERVICE
THEIR CURRENT SURGE AROUND THE
6TH OF MAY AND THINGS ARE
BEGINNING TO
COME DOWN. BUT COMING DOWN
STILL MEANS THEY’RE HAVING MORE
THAN 250,000 NEW CASES
EVERY DAY. WE’RE ONGOING HIGH
NUMBERS
OF DEATHS AND THEY THE REASON
THAT WE THINK THIS IS HAPPENING
IS THAT THEY HAVE A MUTANT
VARIANT THAT APPEARS TO BE MORE
INFECTIOUS, THEN THE
EARLIER TYPES A VIRUS THAT WERE
CIRCULATING THE INDIA VARIANT
HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE UNITED
STATES, NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT IN
A NUMBER OF STATES WHERE
THEY’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR DOING
GENETIC SEQUENCING SO THAT
MEANS THAT WE COULD IN FACT SEE
THE INDIA VARIANT HERE.
GOOD NEWS THAT SCENES PROTECT
AGAINST THE INDIA VARIANT,
BAD NEWS, THIS VARIANT IS MORE
INFECTIOUS THAN THE COVID WE’RE
USED TO SEEING AND IT COULD
WREAK HAVOC IN THE UNVACCINATED
POPULATION SO COME ON IN
EVERYBODY AND GET VACCINATED.
>> JUST ANOTHER REASON TOO.
DOCTOR RUTH BERGGREN FROM ALONG
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH
SAN ANTONIO AS ALWAYS WE