THE
THE REST
THE REST OF US. ERIC CONETTA, ONE OF THE DOCTORS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT
JUST GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO
PFIZER'S KOEPPEN VACCINE WORKS
AT RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL A
LOCAL DOCTOR HERE, INFECTIOUS
DISEASE SPECIALIST DR. MARK
SAWYER.
>> HE'S JOINING US LIVE RIGHT
NOW.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU, DOCTOR.
GOOD MORNING.
IT'S GREAT TO JOIN YOU.
IT'S LIKE YOU ARE ON THIS PANEL
VOTING ON THIS VACCINE AND WE
JUST WANT TO GET OUR VIEWERS
CAUGHT UP HERE.
THE PANEL'S FINAL VOTE FOR THE
PHIZER VACCINE WAS 17 IN FAVOR
AND WERE OPPOSED ONE ABSTAINING
.
TELL US HOW DID YOU VOTE AND
WHY?
I DEFINITELY VOTED IN FAVOR OF
THIS SINCE YOU REALLY EMBRACED
US.
WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A
HANDS ON THE PANDEMIC.
PEOPLE WEARING MASKS AND
DISTANCING AND STARTS GETTING
THE VACCINE.
YOU KNOW THE QUESTION THE
OVERALL QUESTION WE WERE ASKED
WAS THE OVERALL BENEFIT FROM
THIS VACCINE OR WAS IT GREATER
THAN THE OVERALL RISK?
WELL, I THINK THE DATA IS VERY
CLEAR THAT THAT IS THE CASE.
WE KEEP HERE'S THE GREEN LIGHT
APPROVAL AND ALL THESE THINGS
THE WORD WHAT IS THE TIMELINE
HERE?
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT A FINAL
APPROVAL FROM YET?
WE'RE EXPECTING THAT WITHIN
DAYS.
AND WE'RE ALSO EXPECTING THE
CDC WHICH IS MEETING TODAY AND
AGAIN ON SUNDAY TO PREPARE
BECAUSE CORRECT RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR HOW WE USE THE VACCINE.
SO I EXPECT BY MONDAY WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE THE OVERALL ALL
OF THE GUIDELINES IN PLACE.
HE'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND THEN AS I THINK YOU JUST
ACCOUNTING THERE ARE PLANS IN
PLACE TO DISTRIBUTE THE
VACCINES IMMEDIATELY.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS
HAS BEEN SINCE MARCH WHEN A LOT
OF THIS STARTED.
IT'S NOT A VERY LONG TIMELINE
TO DEVELOP A VACCINE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.
THE SPEED AT THIS RATE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO
OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN IT'S REMARKABLE.
IT'S UNPRECEDENTED.
TELL ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
CHALLENGES.
YOU KNOW, DOING THIS SO FAST,
SO FAST.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY
IS I HAVE NO CONCERN.
HE'S GOING TO SPEND TO THE
POINT WHERE ANYTHING WAS
COMPROMISED IN TERMS OF
ASSESSING SINCE I'VE BEEN ON
THIS COMMITTEE IN THE PAST
REVIEWING MANY VACCINES ON THIS
COMMITTEE AND THE WAY THIS
VACCINE WAS MADE WAS EXACTLY
THE SAME.
AND THE NUMBERS ARE STEADY
EXACTLY THE SAME AS WITH OTHER
VACCINES.
THE REASON THAT WAS SPED UP SO
FAST IS THAT THINGS WERE DONE.
SIGN MY OPINION SLEEPYHEADS CAN
BE DONE ONE STEP AT TIMES.
AND THAT TOOK MONEY AND PUT
LOTS OF MONEY.
AND THAT'S WHY THE GOVERNMENT
CAME IN PROVIDING THE MONEY TO
ALLOW THE MANUFACTURING TO
START EVEN BEFORE TODAY.
WILL THAT MEAN THE COMPANY
WOULD NOT NORMALLY DO THAT
BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO
MANUFACTURE VACCINE THAT MAY
NEVER BE USED?
NOW WE KNOW THEY CAN USE THIS
VACCINE SO THAT WAS A GOOD
GAMBLE AND IT'S PAYING OFF.
THAT'S WHY THE PANEL START
DISCUSSING MY JOURNEYS BACK TO
YOU.
THEY SAID MONDAY PFIZER AND
MAKING GREEN LIGHT FOR
MURDERING THIS VACCINE WHEN THE
DISCUSSIONS BEGIN ON THAT.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR
IN THAT NOW?
WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR EXACTLY
THE SAME THING WE'RE LOOKING
QUESTION DOES THE BENEFIT
OUTWEIGH THE RISK?
WELL, NOW WE HAVE TWO VACCINES
TO COMPARE TO EACH OTHER.
SO WE'VE GOT TO LOOK THIS IS
ONE CLEARLY MORE BENEFICIAL OR
SAFER THAN THE OTHERS AND WE
ARE MEETING NEXT THURSDAY ON
MAY 17 TO DO VACCINE IN THE
SAME MANNER AS WE REVIEWED THIS
ONE.
DOCTOR, WE DO WANT TO MENTION
OF COURSE THERE ARE STILL
PEOPLE WHO ARE HESITANT TO GET
THE VACCINE.
IT LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE
LATEST YOU KNOW, FOUR OUT OF 10
I DON'T WANT TO GET THIS
VACCINE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO
THAT?
DO YOU THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO
GET THIS?
YES, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GET
THIS VACCINE RIGHT.
YES.
THIS PROCESS WHICH WAS
COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT PEOPLE
WANTED TO WATCH TO BE ONLINE
AND HEARD EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE
SAID AND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS
WERE.
I HOPE THEY'RE REASSURED THAT
WE HAVE THE APPROVAL THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL BETTER.
IT'S NORMAL TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BUT I
CAN ASSURE PEOPLE NOT ONLY WAS
THE PROCESS COMPLETE SAYS THAT
THERE IS A VERY EXTENSIVE
SYSTEM SET OUT NOW TO FOLLOW
PEOPLE AFTER VACCINATION SO
MAKE SURE WE DON'T LEARN ABOUT
ANYTHING THAT WOULD CHANGE OUR
MIND AND VACCINE.
DR. MARK SAWYER, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US