GOOD MORNING.
I’M ADAM SEXTON.
SHE’S BEEN AT THE HELM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S BIGGEST GOVERNMENTAL
DEPARTMENT, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, THROUGH 12 MONTHS OF
COVID-19.
THIS WEEK, AS WE HEAD INTO OUR SECOND YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC
, WE’RE CHECKING IN WITH COMMISSIONER LORI SHIBINETTE.
COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
ADAM: LET’S BEGIN WITH LONG-TERM CARE.
HOW DELICATE IS THE BALANCE THAT WILL NEED TO BE STRUCK IN THE
WEEKS AHEAD, AS YOU GET FACILITIES TO OPEN UP
VISITATION, BUT THE VIRUS IS STILL WIDESPREAD AND THE
VACCINATION RATE IS STILL BUILDING.
>> LONG-TERM CARE, AS YOU KNOW IS A HUGE PASSION FOR ME.
I JUST GOT OFF A CALL WITH THEM, AND THEY ARE SCARED, BUT THEY’RE
DOING A GREAT JOB.
THE ONE THING WE NEED TO DO IS FOCUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND I
HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE.
FOR 20 YEARS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE IN
LONG-TERM CARE AND ARE RESIDENTS NEED TO HAVE THEIR FAMILY IN
THEIR LIFE.
YOU ARE RIGHT, STRIKING THAT BALANCE IS IMPORTANT.
THE PROTECTION FROM THE VACCINE, THERAPEUTICS IF THEY NEEDED, AND
TO HAVE THE FAMILIES IN THEIR LIVES.
ADAM: AS WE ANALYZE THE RESPONSE, THIS HAS BEEN AMAZING
PROGRESS.
I’M CURIOUS -- LOOKING BACK AND HAVING THE FARMERS IN THE
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, WOULD HAVE BEEN FASTER IF THE STATE
HAD DONE THIS?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN FASTER,
YES.
HE DID NOT LIKE THE SPEED THAT THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY AND
PHARMACY PARTNER PROGRAM ROLLED OUT.
THAT IS ONE THING WE MAY HAVE STRUGGLED WITH A LITTLE BIT.
WITH THE PHARMACY PARTNER PROGRAM, THE COUNTRY AT THE
STATE MORE OR LESS GOT VACCINATED AT THE SAME TIME.
I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH ALL OF OUR
VACCINATIONS.
THE FASTER WE CAN DO IT, THE BETTER.
ADAM: TAKE US THROUGH THE HOMEBOUND VACCINATION PROGRAM.
HOW DO YOU REACH ALL THESE PEOPLE?
I KNOW YOU SAID THE POPULATION IS SMALLER THAN YOU EXPECTED,
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT GET TO THE FIXED SITE?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: WE ARE PLANNING ON FOR WEEKS TO SIX
WEEKS, REALISTICALLY.
WHAT WE FOUND WITH THE HOMEBOUND POPULATION, A LOT HAD FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GO TO A CLINIC AND THEY WERE
ALREADY VACCINATED.
REALLY IT’S ABOUT LOGISTICS.
IN 10 SQUARE MILES, ARE THERE 10 PEOPLE THAT NEED THE VACCINE
THAT WE CAN SCHEDULE IN THE SAME DAY?
WE ARE USING OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.
A LOT OF COMMUNITIES HAVE FIRE AND EMS AND WE HAVE A LOT OF
PRIVATE PROVIDERS.
IT’S REALLY ABOUT LOGISTICS, GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE
RIGHT STREETS AND THE RIGHT ADDRESSES TO GET THE VACCINE OUT
THE DOOR.
ADAM: WHEN WILL WE SEE THE TRANSITION FROM SEEING WHETHER
THE CRISIS IS MANAGED AT THE PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE OR STRICTLY
AT THE HOSPITAL?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: I THINK WE ANTICIPATE THIS COMING IN THE
SPRING OR SUMMER.
WE ANTICIPATE THE NUMBERS WILL NORMALLY COME DOWN IN SPRING AND
SUMMER THROUGH THE VACCINATION PROGRAM.
AS THE WEATHER WARMS UP AND WE GET OUTSIDE WE SEE LESS
RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.
WE SEE ENGAGING WITH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
THEY ARE TAKING ON A LOT OF COVID NOW.
THEY DO A LOT OF OUR TESTING.
BUT GOING AND GETTING THE VACCINATION AT YOUR FAMILY
PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE, I THINK WE SEE THIS THIS SUMMER, DEFINITELY
EARLY FALL.
ADAM: WE SEE THOSE NUMBERS COLLAPSED -- THERE PROBABLY WILL
BE -- COLLAPSE.
THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A EUPHORIC REACTION.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE POTENTIAL PANIC WHEN WE DO SEE
THE BUMPING COVID POTENTIALLY IN THE FALL?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE PREPARED,
COVID IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
COVID WILL STAY IN THE BACKGROUND OR MAYBE THE
FOREFRONT, DEPENDING ON WHAT SEASON IT IS.
BUT YOU HAVE LATE SPRING THROUGH THE SUMMER, AND LATE FALL, JUST
THE NORMAL RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SEASON -- THERE’S LIKELY GOING
TO BE -- YOU ARE GOING TO SEE COVID AGAIN.
THERE WILL BE A LOW LEVEL OF COVID IN OUR COMMUNITIES ALL THE
TIME.
THE GOAL IS TO FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN ACCEPTANCE AND PANIC SO
THAT WHEN YOU SEE COVID STARTING TO RISE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE
KNOW WE HAVE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE AND WE
HAVE THERAPEUTICS TO TREAT PEOPLE WHO GET REALLY SICK ON
IT.
IT’S REALLY ABOUT PROTECTING THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
ADAM: WHAT DOES VICTORY LOOK LIKE TO YOU OR IS THAT A CONCEPT
THAT IS JUST NOT APPROPRIATE WITH THESE NUMBERS?
-- WITH A VIRUS?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: VICTORY IS A TOUGH CONCEPT WITH COVID.
I THINK MAKING SURE EVERYONE WHO WANTS A VACCINE HAS
ACCESSIBILITY, THAT THE VACCINE IS ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
I THINK THAT IS FOR SURE A VICTORY.
MAKING SURE THAT OUR SENIORS AND THOSE WITH MEDICAL
VULNERABILITIES ARE PROTECTED, THAT IS A VICTORY.
I DO NOT KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE COVID GONE FROM OUR SOCIETY
FOREVER.
IT’S MORE LIKELY THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE
TREATMENT OF COVID.
ADAM: ONE OF THE BIGGEST UNKNOWNS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD IS
HOW LONG THE VACCINE PROVIDES PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19.
GIVE ASSISTANCE OF HOW THAT TRAJECTORY WORKS IF WE SEE THE
VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS WEAR OFF AFTER 10 TO 12 MONTHS?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG AND IDEALLY WE
WOULD ALL LOVE TO HAVE LIFETIME PROTECTION.
THAT WOULD BE A VICTORY.
TO GO BACK TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, IT’S LIKELY THAT IT’S
NOT.
WE WOULD ME BOOSTERS.
IT WOULD BE SIMILAR HOW WE GET THE FLU SHOT EVERY YEAR.
WE MIGHT END UP SEEING A COVID BOOSTER EVERY YEAR DEPENDING ON
A PROTECTION LEVEL.
ADAM: WHAT ABOUT THE STATES THEY’RE AMENDING PANDEMIC
GUIDANCE AND MASKS?
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: NOT READY YET.
IT SOON.
I THINK IT’S COMING, APRIL, MAY, THAT TIMEFRAME.
-- IT’S SOON.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE LESS THAN 10% OF OUR POPULATION FULLY
VACCINATED.
WE STILL HAVE SENIORS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE STILL NOT
VACCINATED.
ADAM: HOW DOES YOUR APPROACH TO VACCINATION CHANGE IN THE WEEKS
AND MONTHS AHEAD?
IT’S A LARGE GROUP GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT THE FOLKS ARE
GOING TO GET YOUNGER AND YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO MAKE
GETTING A VACCINE COOL AS WE GO FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: VACCINATION IS COOL.
EVERYBODY’S GOING TO GET ONE.
THAT IS WHY KEEP TELLING EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE LEARNED QUICKLY THAT OUR PHASE 1B FOLKS DID NOT RELY AS
MUCH ON TEXTING AND WE HAD TO BE VERY CALL CENTER-CENTRIC AND
HARRY PLUMMER DID A GREAT JOB SETTING UP CALL CENTER.
AS WE GET INTO THE YOUNGER POPULATION.
IF YOU CAN DO THIS DATE FOR A VACCINE -- I KNOW I HAVE THREE
BOYS IN THEIR 20’S AND I CAN’T GET ANY OF THEM TO ANSWER THE
PHONE, RIGHT?
BUT THEY WILL ANSWER A TEXT.
THOSE OF THE STRATEGIES WE NEED TO EMPLOY WHEN WE START DEALING
WITH OUR YOUNGER GENERATION.
ADAM: THIS HAS BEEN TOUGH FOR EVERYONE.
FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT
OF THIS FOR LONG TIME.
HOW IS YOUR TEAM HOLDING UP?
COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE: I HAVE A TEAM OF TROOPERS.
I AM SO PROUD OF THEM.
LIKE ALL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE WANT A GOOD WORKLIFE BALANCE.
WE WANT TO GO BACK AND DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT MADE OUR LIVES
JOYFUL.
BUT YES, WE ARE WORKING TO GET TO THE END SO WE CAN BRING SOME
NORMALCY TO OUR LIVES AND THE