EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPORTED
WITH THIS VACCINE AND WITH OTHER
VACCINES.
>> NOW YOU WERE PART OF A
BRIEFING WITH PFIZER AS IT SEEKS
TO MAKE EMERGENCY USE FOR THE
SHOT.
THE CDC AND FDA ISSUED A JOINT
STATEMENT SAYING AT THIS TIME
THE BOOSTER IS NOT NEEDED FOR
FULLY VACCINATED AMERICANS AND
THERE WERE REPORTS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT WAS BLINDSIDED ABOUT
THIS LAST WEEK.
WHY IS PFIZER PUSHING FOR A
THIRD SHOT?
>> IM NOT SO SURE THEYRE
PUSHING FOR IT.
WHAT THEYRE DOING IS THAT
THEYRE LOOKING AT THEIR DATA,
THEYRE LOOKING AT THE DATA IN
ISRAEL AND THEYRE SAYING WE
WANT TO BE PREPARED AND WE MIGHT
EVEN ACTUALLY RECOMMEND THAT
ITS A GOOD IDEA TO GET A THIRD
SHOT, NAMELY, A LATE BOOSTER
COMPARED TO THE PRIME BOOST THAT
YOU GET WITH THE TWO-DOSE
VACCINE REGIMEN.
PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES DONT
MAKE THE DECISIONS.
THIS BECOMES A REGULATORY ISSUE
WITH THE FDA, AND THE PUBLIC
HEALTH RECOMMENDATION WITH THE
CDC AND THEIR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES.
THE MEETING THAT WE HAD
YESTERDAY WAS REALLY A COURTESY
MEETING WHERE PFIZER GOT DOWN
WITH US ON A ZOOM THE WAY WERE
TALKING NOW AND DISCUSSED THEIR
DATA, BOTH THE ISRAELI DATA AND
THE DATA FROM THEIR ORIGINAL
PHASE 3 TRIAL.
THOSE DATA ARE A PORTION AND
PART OF A LARGER PUZZLE THAT
WILL LEAD TO ANY DECISION
WHETHER WE WILL OR GIVE A
RECOMMENDATION FOR A BOOSTER AND
WERE NOT THERE YET AND THATS
WHAT THE CDC AND FDA MEANT WHEN
THEY CAME OUT WITH THEIR JOINT
STATEMENT.
THEY LOOKED AT THE DATA IN REAL
TIME SO THEYLL BE EXAMINING
DATA AS IT COMES IN FROM OTHER
SOURCES, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE
PFIZER DATA, AND ALSO THE CDC
HAS OVER 20 COHORTS THAT THEYRE
FOLLOWING.
THAT WILL BE THE SOURCE OF
IMPORTANT DATA THAT WOULD GO
INTO ANY DECISION AS TO WHETHER
OR NOT ITS GOING TO BE
RECOMMENDED AND IF SO, WHEN?
>> WELL, IS IT AN UNWELCOME
DISTRACTION RIGHT NOW TO BE
TALKING ABOUT A BOOSTER WHEN
YOUR MAIN FOCUS HAS BEEN WHY ARE
90 MILLION AMERICANS STILL NOT
VACCINATED AND WITH DELTA
VARIANT OUT THERE, DOESNT THAT
MAKE THEM ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF
THESE COMMUNITIES WHEN WEVE
SEEN A SURGE LATELY, A PETRIE
DISH FOR OTHER VARIANTS.
>> YOU ARE RIGHT ON A COUPLE OF
ACCOUNTS, ANDREA.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU REALLY DO HAVE
TO EXAMINE WHY YOURE TALKING
ABOUT A BOOSTER OR A FULLY
VACCINATED PERSON WHEN WE HAVE
SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY
WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED AT ALL
YET, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE HAVE A
DELTA VARIANT CIRCULATING AND
WERE HAVING OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS AN INCREASE IN
CASES AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE WERY
SEEING AS A DECREASE IN CASES
OVER THE PRIOR MONTH OR MORE.
THE OTHER ISSUE THAT IS
CONFUSING TO PEOPLE, WHEN THEY
HEAR THAT YOU MIGHT NEED A BOOST
THEY MIGHT GET THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE VACCINE IS NOT
EFFECTIVE.
THE REQUIREMENT OR NOT FOR A
BOOST, FOR A FULLY VACCINATED
PERSON HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT
ALL TO DO WITH THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE VACCINE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE DURABILITY
OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PEOPLE
ARE SAYING MAYBE THE VACCINES
DONT WORK IF THEYRE GOING TO
NEED A BOOSTER.
NO, NOT AT ALL.
THESE VKS ARE HIGHLY, HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE AND SAFE WHEN YOURE