>>> WITH ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE
UNITED STATES FULLY VACCINATED,
THERE REMAIN MANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE COVID VACCINES AND THE
RISE IN CASES IN SOME STATES
LIKE MICHIGAN.
EARLIER THIS MORNING, I HAD A
CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH TO DR.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY
AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND
CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR TO
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
HAVE A LISTEN.
>> DR. FAUCI, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR COMING TO "THE SUNDAY
SHOW."
>> MY PLEASURE, JONATHAN.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> NOW LET’S TALK VACCINES AND
START WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON.
THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
PAUSED, OR THE CDC PUT A PAUSE
ON ADMINISTRATION OF THE
VACCINE.
WHEN WILL THAT PAUSE END?
>> I WOULD IMAGINE BY THIS
COMING FRIDAY, WE WILL KNOW ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER WHERE WE’RE
GOING WITH IT.
I WOULD IMAGINE WE’RE NOT GOING
TO SEE ANY FURTHER EXTENSION.
THEY’RE LOOKING CAREFULLY OVER
THE COMING WEEK AND OVER THE
PREVIOUS FEW DAYS.
WE HOPE I BY FRIDAY WE’LL GET
SOME SORT OF DETERMINATION OF
WHAT WE’LL DO WITH THE J&J
VACCINE.
>> AND DOES THE PAUSE SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF
THE VACCINE?
SHOULD PEOPLE BE WORRIED?
>> NOT AT ALL.
THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO
DO WITH EFFICACY.
THIS VACCINE IS A HIGHLY
EFFICACIOUS VACCINE, WHICH WAS
THE REASON THAT THE FDA GAVE IT
THE EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.
WE’RE LOOKING NOW AT A VERY RARE
AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SIX WOMEN OUT
OF CLOSE TO 7 MILLION PEOPLE WHO
ARE VACCINATED.
THE TIME BEING TAKEN NOW TO
EXAMINE A BIT MORE ABOUT IT AND
SEEING IT THROUGH ANY ADDITIONAL
CASES.
THAT’S THE REASON WHY THE CDC
NOW AND THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AND IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES IS
LOOKING AT THIS AND TRYING TO
DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE SCOPE
OF IT IS.
THAT’S THE REASON WHY BY FRIDAY,
I THINK, JONATHAN, WE’LL HAVE A
DETERMINATION.
>> LET’S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO
PFIZER.
LAST WEEK PFIZER CEO ANNOUNCED
THAT THERE MIGHT BE A NEED FOR A
THIRD BOOSTER SHOT WITHIN 12
MONTHS.
SHOULD -- ONE, IS THE BOOSTER TO
BE EXPECTED?
SHOULD WE START THINKING OF THE
COVID-19 VACCINE IN THE SAME WAY
WE THINK OF THE FLU VACCINESOME?
SOMETHING WE’LL HAVE TO GET
EVERY YEAR?
>> WE DON’T KNOW FOR SURE BUT
IT’S CONCEIVABLE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A VACCINE, YOU
LOOK AT THE DURABILITY OF THE
RESPONSE AND YOU CAN DO THAT
EITHER BY LOOKING AT WHAT WE
CALL CORP. LANCE OF IMMUNITY,
FENCE, ANTI-BODY LEVEL.
IF THE ANTI-BODY LEVEL IS UP
HERE AND YOU SEE IT TRICKLE
DOWN, THEN THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD
INDICATION YOU MIGHT HAVE TO
GIVE A BOOST.
THE OTHER INDICATOR WOULD BE IF
YOU START TO SEE BREAKTHROUGH
INFECTIONS.
NAMELY AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS MORE
AND MORE PEOPLE START BREAKING
THROUGH WHO WERE VACCINATED.
THAT BEING THE CASE, YOU MIGHT
HAVE TO GET A BOOSTER.
IT WILL BE DETERMINED PURELY ON
A PUBLIC HEALTH BASIS.
AND THE SECOND PART OF YOUR
QUESTION IS QUITE RELEVANT.
IF, IN FACT, IT TURNS OUT THAT
WE HAVE DURABILITY THAT ONLY
MEASURED IN A YEAR OR SO, IT’S
CONCEIVABLE THAT WE MAY NEED TO