TODAY PEOPLE ARE SCRAMBLING
WONDERING WHAT IT MEANS FOR THEM
AND BUSINESSES LARGE AND SMALL.
WELCOME DR. FAUCI.
GREAT TO SEE YOU ON A DAY WITH
SUCH GOOD NEWS TO REPORT.
LETS TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
IT APPEARED TO SOME PEOPLE TO BE
RATHER SUDDEN.
TELL US THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS
DECISION.
>> IT WAS NOT A SUDDEN CHANGE IN
RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT WAS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC
INFORMATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW THE NUMBER
OF CASES PER DAY ON AVERAGE HAVE
COME DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AT LEAST ONE-THIRD.
LAST TIME WE TALKED IT WAS WAY
UP THERE.
IT WENT FROM 60,000 PER DAY DOWN
TO AROUND 30,000 PER DAY.
THE SECOND THING THATS
IMPORTANT IS THE ACTUAL REAL
WORLD EFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINES
HAS BECOME NOW READILY APPARENT
BASED ON A NUMBER OF STUDIES. NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES
NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES
BUT IN COUNTRIES LIKE ISRAEL AND
QATAR AND OTHER PLACES.
IT IS AS GOOD OR BETTER AS IT
WAS DURING THE TRIALS.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE DIMINUTION OF
CASES AND HAVE CLEAR-CUT
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINE AND
SHOW EVEN IF PEOPLE DO GET
INFECTED, WHICH IS RARE
BREAKTHROUGHS, THEY VIRTUALLY
NEVER GET THE SERIOUS DISEASE.
IT GETS PEOPLE TO FUNCTION IN A
WAY THAT APPROXIMATES THE WAY
THINGS WERE PRIOR TO THIS
TERRIBLE OUTBREAK.
>> DR. FAUCI, CHILDREN, WHAT
SHOULD PARENTS DO IF THEY ARE
VACCINATED, BUT THEIR CHILDREN
ARE TOO YOUNG FOR THE PFIZER
VACCINE WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED
FOR THAT.
>> THAT ADOLESCENCE HAS NOT ONLY
BEEN APPROVED TO GET VACCINATED,
BUT IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU
VACCINATE THEM.
WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
CHILDREN LESS THAN 12 YEARS
OLD -- WE HAD SAID IN THE
CDC-MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU
HAVE AN UNVACCINATED CHILD IN
THE HOME SETTING OR IN A SETTING
WITH VACCINATED ADULTS, THAT A
CHILD DOES NOT NEED TO WEAR A
MASK NOR DO RESULTS PARTICULARLY
IF A CHILD HAS AN UNDERLYING
CONDITION THAT WOULD MAKE THE
CHILD SUSCEPTIBLE TO SEVERE
OUTCOME SHOULD THEY BE INFECTED.
BUT WHEN THEY GO OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY, INDOOR OR OUTDOOR,
SHOULD FOLLOW THE CDC GUIDELINES
WE HAD FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO
WHICH SAID THAT WHEN
UNVACCINATED EVEN IF YOU ARE A
CHILD, YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW THE ESTABLISHED CDC
GUIDELINES WHICH IS A GOOD
REASON WHY, AS WE GET FURTHER
AND FURTHER INTO THE MONTHS, THE
CLINICAL TRIALS WE ARE DOING
NOW, HOPEFULLY THEY SHOW, AND I
BELIEVE THEY WILL, EVEN IN
CHILDREN, THAT THEY CAN IN FACT
RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS
CALENDAR YEAR WE WILL BE ABLE TO
VACCINATE CHILDREN OF ANY AGE.
>> DO YOU THINK A CERTAIN NUMBER
OF CHILDREN, PERHAPS ELEMENTARY
AGE CHILDREN, MIGHT BE ABLE TO
BE VACCINATED BY SEPTEMBER?
>> I DONT THINK SO.
ADOLESCENTS, HIGH SCHOOL, I AM
FAIRLY CONFIDENT BY THE TIME
THEY GET INTO THE CLASSROOM BY
SEPTEMBER, THEY CAN BE FULLY
VACCINATED, IF THEY WANT TO.
I HOPE THEY DO.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL
THE LATEST OF THE FIRST QUARTER
OF 2022.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU GO INTO A
STORE OR RESTAURANT.
YOU DONT KNOW WHO IS VACCINATED
OR NOT.
HOW SAFE ARE YOU?
>> VERY SAFE.
THATS WHY THE CDC MADE THE
RECOMMENDATION.
IT IS CHEER THE INFECTION RATE
HAS GONE DOWN, BUT THE REAL
WORLD EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
VACCINE IS TRULY EXTRAORDINARY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED
AND BREAK THROUGH INFECTIONS,
ITS A VERY, VERY SMALL
PERCENTAGE.
IF YOU GO INTO A PLACE -- AND
THE FACT IS YOU VERY LIKELY WILL
NOT KNOW IF YOU GO INTO A
RESTAURANT OR STORE OR ANYPLACE
INDOORS, YOU WILL NOT KNOW WHO
IS VACCINATED OR NOT.
BUT WE FELT THAT ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED, GIVEN THE HIGH
DEGREE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
VACCINES, THAT YOU ARE OKAY TO
DO THAT BECAUSE YOUR RISK IS
VERY, VERY LOW.
>> OUR CORRESPONDENT IN L.A. WAS
TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO KEPT HER
MASK ON BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE
DIDNT WANT PEOPLE TO THINK SHE
WAS POLITICALLY AGAINST MATH.
THERE IS THAT.
IT HAS BECOME SO POLITICIZED
THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL BE
RELUCTANT TO TAKE THEIR MASK OFF
IN PUBLIC.
>> YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT
AND ARE RIGHT.
PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO MAKE THEIR
OWN DECISIONS ABOUT THAT.
YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE
REALLY AT THAT TRANSITION PERIOD
WHERE THEY ARE NOT QUITE READY
TO TAKE THE MASK OFF.
BUT I BELIEVE, AS THE DAYS GO
BY, AS WE GET A WEEK OR TWO INTO
THIS, PEOPLE WILL START FEELING
MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS
IDEA OF GOING TO AN INDOOR
SITUATION AND IF YOU ARE
VACCINATED, TAKING THE MASK OFF.
BUT THE SCENARIO YOU MENTIONED,
I AM NOT SURPRISED.
>> WE ARE GOING INTO A WEEKEND.
A LOT OF PEOPLE I AM CLOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT
SYNAGOGUES AND CHOUCHURCHES AND
SINGING IN CHOIR.
>> WHERE YOU HAVE AN INDOOR
ENVIRONMENT, IT WAS FELT BY THE
CDC, AND I AGREE WITH THEM, THAT
THE RISK WAS SO LOW THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO TAKE THAT STEP.
IT SEEMS LIKE A BOLD STEP BUT IN
FACT THE SCIENCE BACKS IT.
>> PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNO
COMPROMISED, ARE THEY OKAY
WITHOUT A MASK?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF
IMMUNO SUPPRESSION, ITS
PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC FOR
PEOPLE WITH SOLID ORGAN
TRANSPLANTS.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT
MANY MEDICATIONS THEY ARE ON TO
PREVENT THE REJECTION OF THE
TRANSPLANT DIMINISHES THEIR
IMMUNE CAPABILITY ENOUGH THAT
FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THEY
SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR
PRIVATE DOCTOR FOR ADVICE ABOUT
WHAT TO DO.
IT MAY WELL BE THEY ARE IN A
CATEGORY WHERE THEY NEED TO WEAR
MASKS.
HOPEFULLY AS WE GET FURTHER IN
AND TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF
BOOSTS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO BOOST
PEOPLE TO GET THEIR LEVEL OF
PROTECTION UP.
RIGHT NOW THE RECOMMENDATION IS
CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN
BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR MASK OFF.
>> DO YOU THINK WE WILL ALL NEED
BOOSTER SHOTS NEXT YEAR?
>> I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED.
I THINK SOMETIME WITHIN A YEAR
OR SO FROM THE TIME THAT YOU
HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED YOU
MIGHT NEED A BOOST.
I DONT KNOW FOR SURE.
WE ARE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY THE
LEVEL OF IMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW
IS THE CURRENT OF IMMUNITY.
ONCE IT GOES BELOW A CERTAIN
CUTOFF BASELINE OR IF WE SEE
MORE AND MORE BREAKTHROUGH
INFECTIONS, THAT WILL BE A
SIGNAL THEY NEED A BOOSTER.
>> I HAVE NOT BEEN ON A PLANE
FOR 15 MONTHS BUT LAST WEEK I
WAS TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY TO
UKRAINE.
IT WAS DAUNTING.
I FOUND YOU HAVE TO GET TESTS
BEFORE THE FLIGHT.
NOBODY CARES ABOUT VACCINATION
LEVELS.
PEOPLE THERE ARE NOT VACCINATED.
19 PEOPLE IN A COUNTRY OF 42
MILLION HAVE BEEN FULLY
VACCINATED.
THEY ARE NOT IN THE EU, DONT
HAVE ACCESS THAT CANADA AND U.S.
HAVE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE BENEFIT
OF THE VACCINATIONS.
>> I THINK WHAT WE WILL START
SEEING AS MORE AND MORE VACCINE
BECOMES AVAILABLE
INTERNATIONALLY, I WOULD NOT BE
SURPRISED IF CERTAIN AIRLINES
WILL ASK FOR VALIDATION AND
PROOF OF BEING VACCINATED IN
ORDER TO GET ON THE PLANE.
IT WILL BE TOUGH TO DO, AS YOU
SAID, IF YOU ARE IN A COUNTRY
WHERE 2% OF THE POPULATION IS
VACCINATED.
YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYBODY
FLYING.
IN LIEU OF THAT THEY ARE
REQUIRING, I THINK
APPROPRIATELY, THAT YOU GET
TESTED BEFORE YOU GET ON THE
PLANE AND WEAR A MASK.
MANY AIRLINES ARE HAVING THOSE
KIND OF RESTRICTIONS.
>> I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT A
PROMISING STUDY YOU REFERRED TO
IN THE BRIEFING YESTERDAY,
TRIALS INVOLVING MONKEYS, A
VACCINE THAT COULD BE UNIVERSAL
FOR ALL CORONAVIRUSES.
HOW PROMISING IS THAT?
>> THERE IS ALWAYS, WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT A STUDY IN AN ANIMAL,
LOOKING AT A STUDY IN AN ANIMAL,
THAT IT WOULD GET HE IS STRAPSTR
HUMANS.
THIS IS A PROMISING TRIAL.
WE WILL LOOK AT PHASE ONE TRIALS
IN HUMANS TO SHOW THAT SUCH A
TRIAL IS SAFE.
BUT I WOULDNT BE SURPRISED THAT
IN A COUPLE YEARS WE SEE THAT.
I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE DATA.
THEY HAVE PROTECTION AGAINST