OTHER HALF THOUGH IS LIKELY TO
HAPPEN -- NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN
NEARLY AS FAST.
>> YEAH.
MEANWHILE TOMORROW CDC VACCINE
ADVISORS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING
UP THE ISSUE OF WHETHER TO
RESUME SUESUSE OF THE JOHNSON AN
JOHNSON VACCINE.
UP TO 15 MILLION CLOSEDOSED HAD
THROWN OUT BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE
CONTAMINATION.
DR. ASHISH JHA.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU AS ALWAYS,
SIR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK.
>> LET’S START WITH THIS J&J
DISCUSSION, DR. JHA SINCE THE
RELEASE OF THAT FDA REPORT.
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON AND EMERGENT
RELEASED STATEMENTS SAYING THEY
ARE GOING TO RESOLVE THESE
ISSUES.
ALSO HEARD WEDNESDAY EUROPEAN
UNION REGULATORS FINDING A
POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN THE
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE AND
RARE BLOOD CLOTS BUT DID
REITERATE THE BENEFITS
OUTWEIGHED THE RISKS.
DO YOU THINK THAT WE’RE GOING TO
SEE J&J VACCINE PRODUCTION
RESUME HERE IN THE UNITED STATES
IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK EXPECT THE COMMITTEEIC,
ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE CDC
TOMORROW TO UNPAUSE THE PAUSE
THAT WE’VE BEEN IN AND LET
PEOPLE START GETTING VACCINATED
AGAIN.
YOU KNOW LOOK THESE ARE
EXTRAORDINARILY SAFE VACCINES.
THEY ARE MUCH MUCH SAFER THAN
MOST MEDICINES THAT WE TAKE,
MOST VACCINES THAT HAVE BEEN
GIVEN OUT.
THESE ARE JUST -- WHAT THE
PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE
VACCINATING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE AROUND IN THE WORLD
AND EVEN ONE IN A MILLION EVENTS
WE IDENTIFY THEM.
BECAUSE A REALLY BIG SAFETY
MONITORING SYSTEM AND THAT IS
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE.
BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION I’D
FEEL COMFORTABLE GETTING IT.
I’D FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MY
FAMILY MEMBERS GETTING IT.
IT IS A REALLY SAFE VACCINE AND
I EXPECT THE PAUSE TO BE LIFTED
TOMORROW.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT KIDS FOR A
MOMENT.
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS, MORE THAN 88,000 NEW
COVID CASES IN KIDS WERE
REPORTED LAST WEEK.
A 5% INCREASE OVER PREVIOUS
WEEKS.
AND WE’RE FINALLY STARTING TO
SEE TEENS DOWN TO 16 GET
VACCINATED.
DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE YOUNGER
CHILDREN GETTING VACCINATED AND
BECOME ELIGIBLE?
AND IF SO, WHEN DO YOU THINK
THAT COULD HAPPEN?
>> YEAH, I HOPE SO.
AND I EXPECT THAT FOR 12-15
YEARS.
AND THAT IS PERSONAL FOR ME
BECAUSE I HAVE TWO IN THAT AGE
RANGE.
12-15 YEAR OLDS I’M HOPING WILL
HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
PFIZER DATA ON THAT GROUP LOOKS
FABULOUS AND THE FDA IS LOOKING
AT IT.
AND MY HOPE IS IN THE NEXT MONTH
OR SO THEY ARE GOING TO
AUTHORIZE IT FOR THAT GROUP.
THE CHALLENGE IS YOUNGER KIDS.
AND THE ISSUE THERE IS WE
JUST -- THE STUDIES ARE ONGOING.
WE PROBABLY NEED A LOWER DOSE.
THERE IS A BUNCH OF WORK THAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND SO THAT GROUP MAY NOT GET
VACCINATED UNTIL THE END OF THE
SUMMER, FALL, MAYBE EVEN THE
WINTER.
JUST DEPENDS ON HOW LONG THE
STUDIES TAKE.
WE WANT TO DO THE STUDIES
CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE IT IS
SAFE AND THAT IS WHY WE’RE
PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE A WHILE
TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUTDOOR
MASKING.
YOU SAID SOON SOME STALTS WILL
LIKELY EASE THE OUT DOOR MASK
MANDATES.
I’M WALKING MY ONE YEAR OLD SON
IN HIS STROLLER AND I’M LIVE IN
A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH LOT OF
RUNNERS.
AND THEY ARE RUNNING RIGHT NEXT
TO US.
BREATHING RIGHT ON US.
COULD THERE REALLY BE A BENEFIT
TO NOT WEARING MASKS OUTSIDE?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK ANYBODY
WHO WANTS TO OBVIOUSLY SHOULD
CONTINUE TO WEAR MASK.
THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY
PROHIBITION AGAINST IT.
BUT IF YOU EVEN TAKE THAT
EXAMPLE OF THE RUNNER WHO RUNS
BY.
WHAT IS THE RISK?
THE ANSWER IT IS
ININFINITESIMALLY SMALL.
I’M NOT AIR WARE OF ANY CASE IN
THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC WHERE
SOMEBODY WALKING BY SOMEBODY
NEAR SOMEBODY INFECTED ANOTHER
PERSON.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SUSTAINED
EXPOSURE FOR SOME PERIOD OF
TIME.
AO I KNOW IT FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE
FOR A LOT OF FOLKS BUT I DO
THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING A
LIFTING OF THE OUTDOOR MASK
MANDATE AND IT IS PROBABLY OKAY
FROM A SAFETY POINT OF VIEW.
>> AND FROM A VACCINE POINT OF
VIEW.
MORE THAN HALF OF ALL ADULTS AT
LEAST ONE VACCINE SHOT BUT
DEMAND IS SLOWING DOWN IN SOME
STATES.
IS IT BECAUSE OF THIS VACCINE
HESITANCY, WHAT THEY HEARD ABOUT
J&J?
HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO GO OKAY
LET’S GO.
LET’S GET THE SHOT GOING FOR THE
REST OF US?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
WHAT WE’VE DONE IS A THERE IS A
GROUP OF OF AMERICANS, I WAS ONE
OF THEM.
VACCINATION AVID.
REALLY WANTED THE VACCINE THAT.
GROUP HAS LARGELY NOW BEEN
VACCINATED.
THE NEXT GROUP IS NOT HESITANT I
WOULD SAY.
LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY TO GET I BUT
WON’T JUMP THROUGH THE HOOPS.
WE SHOULD MAKE IT SUPER EASY.
THERE ARE OTHERS WITH QUESTIONS
HOW SAFE THE VACCINES ARE AND WE
SHOULD BE TALKING TO THEM AND
ADDRESSING THEM.
I REALLY DO THINK WE CAN GET A
VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS
VACCINATED IF WE TREAT PEOPLE
WITH RESPECT.
WE REACH OUT AND UNDERSTAND
THEIR CONCERNS, ADDRESS THEM.
WE DON’T HAVE TO GET EVERYBODY
BUT WE NEED TO GET MOST PEOPLE
AND I THINK WE CAN.
>> INTERESTING HERE TO HEAR DR.
WALENSKY SAY AT THIS POINT SOME
90% OF AMERICANS LIVE WITHIN
FIVE MILES OF A VACCINE SITE.