IT IS THURSDAY, SO IN TODAY’S KSAT QNA WE ARE PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY DOCTOR RUTH BERGGREN
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST
WITH THE LONG SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH SAN
ANTONIO, GOOD TO SEE YOU DOCTOR
AS ALWAYS WE’VE GOT SOME BIG
NEWS TO START WITH
HERE TODAY. WE LEARNED THAT
PFIZER IS LOOKING TO GET
CLEARANCE FOR 8TH.
SHOTS TALK TO US ABOUT WHY THEY
ARE LOOKING FOR THAT AND WHAT
THAT COULD
POTENTIALLY BRING.
>> SO FIRST THIS ISN’T REALLY A
SURPRISE WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING
TO HEAR NEWS ABOUT A BOOSTER
DOSE FOR MONTHS I’VE TALKED
ABOUT IT OFTEN ON THIS SEGMENT.
PFIZER HAS NOW
ANNOUNCED THEY PLAN TO REQUEST
EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FOR
THAT 3RD DOSE FROM THE FDA
WITHIN THE MONTH.
AND IT APPEARS THAT THE TRIGGER
FOR THIS IS DATA
AND THERE’S BEEN DATA FROM
PFIZER AND THERE’S BEEN DATA
FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF
ISRAEL WHICH DEMONSTRATES THAT
AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS
YOU START TO SEE WANING
IMMUNITY LOWER LEVELS OF
ANTIBODIES AND SOME HIGHER
REINFECTION RATES NOW THIS
ISN’T MEANT TO FRIGHTEN ANYBODY
WHO GOT VACCINATED MORE THAN 6 MONTHS AGO LIKE ME FOR INSTANCE, BUT WHAT WE KNOW IS
THAT THERE’S A HIGHER RISK OF A
REINFECTION DESPITE FULL
VACCINATION IF 6 MONTHS HAVE
GONE BY SINCE YOUR SECOND DOSE.
AND SO WHAT THEY’RE DOING IS
REQUESTING PERMISSION TO
STARTED MINISTERING 3RD DOSES
OF THE
SAME VACCINE. NOW AT THE SAME
TIME THEY
ARE INVESTIGATING. CHANGED
VACCINE THAT WILL ACCOUNT FOR
SOME OF THE NEW VARIANTS BUT
THAT’S NOT WHAT THEY’RE ASKING
FOR THIS THIS EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION FOR THEY’RE GOING
AFTER APPROVAL TO ADMINISTER A 3RD DOSE OF THE VACCINE THAT ONE OF MANY OF US HAVE HAD
ALREADY.
>> SO AS WE AWAIT WORD ON
THAT WE’RE ALSO NOW HEARING
ABOUT CLUSTERS OF PEOPLE WHERE
THERE ARE UNVACCINATED
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES MAINLY IN THE
SOUTHEASTERN US INCLUDING
PORTIONS OF TEXAS
WHERE PEOPLE JUST AREN’T
GETTING THE SHOT IN A VERY LOW
VACCINATION RATES
THERE’S SOME REAL CONCERNS THAT
THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED IN THOSE
COMMITTEES COULD IMPACT ALL OF
US ACROSS THE ENTIRE NATION.
>> THAT’S TRUE AND SO THE
UNVACCINATED PEOPLE WHO GET
SICK CAN ACTUALLY IMPACT THE
VACCINATED PEOPLE WHY IS THAT
BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE THAT
GET INFECTED. THE MORE CHANCE
THAT THE VIRUS WILL MUTATE
AGAIN AND BECOME EVEN WILEY ARE
AT EVADING IMMUNE RESPONSE.
SO BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT
COULD CAUSE SURGES
WHICH STRESS OUR HEALTHCARE
SYSTEMS AND THAT
AFFECTS EVERYBODY. THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE GETTING SICK FROM COVID
BECAUSE THEIR UNVACCINATED
COULD WIND UP PROPAGATING
MORE RESISTANT VERSIONS OF THE
VIRUS. SO IT’S JUST ONE OF
MANY MANY REASONS WHY WE WANT
TO CONTINUE TO INVITE IN
COURAGE.
AND APPLAUD EVERYBODY WHO
DECIDES TO COME AND GET THEIR
COVID VACCINE. IT’S A GOOD
THING TO DO FOR YOURSELF AND
FOR
EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> THERE IS SOME NEWS OUT OF
DALLAS COUNTY MEANWHILE THAT’S
GRABBING A LOT OF ATTENTION THE
HEALTH AUTHORITY THERE HAS
ANNOUNCED THE DALLAS COUNTY HAS
REACHED HER IMMUNITY
WHICH IS A TERM WE TALKED ABOUT
SO MUCH ABOUT EARLIER ON IN
THIS
PANDEMIC SO WHEN PEOPLE HEAR
THAT NEWS WHAT DO YOU THINK
THEY SHOULD TAKE AWAY FROM THAT
ANNOUNCEMENT AND IS THERE ANY.
KIND OF WORD
OF CAUTION WITH THAT NEWS.
>> WELL I THINK ANY TIME A
COMMUNITY HAS GOTTEN MORE THAN
70% FULLY VACCINATED THAT’S
WHAT I WOULD CALL HERD IMMUNITY
THIS FULL VACCINATION OF 70%
THERE SHOULD BE SOME
CELEBRATION
FOR SURE BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN
WE THROW ALL PRECAUTIONS TO THE
WIND AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE
POCKETS AND SURGES AROUND THE
COUNTRY REMEMBER
THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO
ARE VERY VULNERABLE. SO FOLKS
HAVE HAD SOLID ORGAN
TRANSPLANTS. KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS
HEART TRANSPLANTS. THOSE PEOPLE
ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE.
PEOPLE WHO TAKE MEDICINE THAT
SUPPRESSES THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM
BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN AUTO
IMMUNE DISEASE LIKE PEOPLE WITH
WE MEET WITH ARTHRITIS OR
PEOPLE WITH
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. THOSE
PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE EVEN WHEN
THEY’VE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED
SO I THINK THAT PEOPLE NEED
NOT JUST THROW ALL CAUTION TO
THE WIND. CONTINUE TO
ENCOURAGE.
VULNERABLE PEOPLE TO BE
VACCINATED THE PEOPLE AROUND
THE VULNERABLE FOLKS TO BE
VACCINATED AND AND STAY TUNED,
REMAIN SITUATIONALLY AWARE OF
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE
VARIANCE.
>> DO YOU SEE ANY
POINT TO WHERE THE SHOT MIGHT
BECOME MANDATED, I KNOW THERE’S
BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT
PEOPLE NOT GETTING THE VACCINE.
BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
NOT WANTED TO WADE INTO THE
WATERS OF MANDATING THAT
VACCINE.
WHAT WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE WITH
THAT CAUSE AND IT WOULD JUST BE
EASIER IF BUSINESSES AND
SCHOOLS WERE TO SAY
WE’RE GOING MAKE IT HARD FOR
YOU TO TO DO THINGS BUT IF
YOU’RE NOT VACCINATED
YEAH.
>> I DON’T ENVISION A FEDERAL
MANDATE AND MOST.
LEGAL ADVISERS AND EMPHASIS
DON’T SEE THAT COMING EITHER,
BUT IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES AND
CERTAIN INDUSTRIES LIKE THE
HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY TO
VERY DIFFICULT TO OPT OUT
OR
2 MANDATES AND THERE’S BEEN A
PRECEDENT OR IMMUNIZING PEOPLE
AGAINST FLU I MEAN IF I IF I
DON’T GET MY FLU VACCINE
EVERY FALL. I WILL LOSE MY
ADMISSION PRIVILEGES AT THAT
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. SO THERE’S
A MANDATE THERE.
WE’RE MANDATED TO GET OUR
HEPATITIS B VACCINE, IT’S
REALLY HARD TO GET OUT
OF IT AND SO I THINK THAT
CONSIDERING THAT HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS PUT VULNERABLE PEOPLE
AT RISK EVERY SINGLE DAY EVERY
SINGLE TIME WE SEE A PATIENT IT
MAKES A LOT OF SENSE
TO REQUIRE SUCH HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS TO BE VACCINATED.
WHETHER IT’S NECESSARY TO
MANDATE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD
IS THE ANSWER IS
PROBABLY NOT. BUT BUT WE SHOULD
CONTINUE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
ABOUT WHY VACCINATION MAKE
SENSE AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
GET VACCINATED.
>> WE WANT TO GET TO A VIEWER
QUESTION BEFORE WE GO HERE, WE
HAVE SOMEONE RIGHT IN TO US
ASKING THAT THEY HER
FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND TOTALLY
THAT THEY’VE HAD COVID IN THE
PAST SO THEY’RE NOT GETTING THE
VACCINE. NOW. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE ON THAT VERY TOPIC WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND.
>> WE KNOW
IMMUNITY FROM FROM
COVID INFECTION. CAN PROTECT
HIM FOR TIME AND WE HAVE SOME
DATA ON POPULATION LEVELS.
WE ALSO KNOW
AND IT’S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
GOTTEN SICK WITH COVID
AFTER ABOUT 90 DAYS FOLLOWING
THE RESOLUTION THAT THEI FIRST
COVID INFECTIONS SO WE KNOW
THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN IS WELL
DOCUMENTED IN ADDITION. WE HAVE
GOOD DATA FROM BRAZIL
AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF
COVID INFECTIONS THINGS BEGAN
TO SIMMER DOWN AND
THEN THEY GOT THEIR VARIANTS
THAT P ONE VARIANT WHICH NOW
BEEN GIVEN A GREEK LETTER NAME.
PEOPLE WHO HAD RECOVERED FROM COVID IN BRAZIL GOT VERY SICK. WITH THE
VARIANCE SO THESE ARE ALL
REASONS WHY PEOPLE WHO HAVE
RECOVERED FROM COVID SHOULD NOT
REST EASY THEY SHOULD GET VACCINATED AND THEY SHOULDN’T REALLY WAIT MORE THAN ABOUT 90
DAYS AFTER THEIR FIRST VACCINE
TO GO AND GET THAT 4 SHOT.
ALL RIGHT DOCTOR RUTH BERGGREN
AS ALWAYS THANKS FOR BEING
HERE.