STARTS TO OCCUR. >> PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE ABOUT 45 SECONDS AWAY.
NEWS LIKE THIS AFTERNOON ON
COVID-19 VACCINES THAT MIGHT
CATCH THE ATTENTION OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE. THE CDC SAYING THE
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE
NOT THE PREFERRED A VACCINE OUT
OF THE 3 THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT
THERE. WE HAVE DOCTOR RUTH
BERGGREN JOINING US TODAY TO
TALK ABOUT THAT AND MORE
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST,
OF COURSE, WITH THE LONG SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH, SAN
ANTONIO DOCTOR BERGGREN.
SO EXPLAIN THIS FOR US BECAUSE
WE’VE KNOWN FROM THE BEGINNING
THAT THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON
SHOT NOT AS EFFECTIVE AGAINST
COVID-19 WHEN IT COMES TO
MODERNA AND PFIZER. BUT WHAT
IS THIS NOT PREFERRED DECISION
MEAN?
>> WELL, SO THE DATA HAVE
CONTINUED TO BE MONITORED AND
THERE ISN’T A CRUEL OF
INFORMATION. AND WE’RE NOW TOLD
THAT THE INCIDENCE OF THAT VERY
SERIOUS KIND OF BLOOD CLOT FROM
THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE
IS AROUND 3.8 FOR 1 MILLION
VACCINE DOSES. SO THIS TOGETHER
WITH THE FACT THAT A SINGLE
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE
IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROTECT
AGAINST THE OMICRON VARIANT
CERTAINLY HAS LED TO
SUGGESTIONS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD
PREFERENTIALLY SEEK ONE OF THE
MRNA VACCINES. SO IF YOU ARE
A JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE
ME AND IF IT’S BEEN MORE THAN
2 MONTHS SINCE YOU GOT YOUR
FIRST SHOT, YOU’RE PROBABLY
BEST OFF SEEKING OUT THE
MODERNA OR PFIZER HAS A BOOSTER
AND YOU SHOULD GET IT SOON.
>> SO WE WILL JUST BE ONE
ADDITIONAL SHOT. IS THE
PREFERRED METHOD FROM HERE.
IF YOU HAVE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON
TO DROP TO GO TO THE WHOLE
REGIMEN WITH 2 SHOTS WITH
MODERNA AND PFIZER. FOR NOW FOR
NOW ACCOUNT.
>> WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
OMICRON? I THE THEY FEELING THE
LAST TIME WE TALKED TO IS THAT
IT IS MORE CONTAGIOUS.
>> BUT PERHAPS LESS SEVERE.
IS THAT STILL WHAT YOU’RE
SAYING AND JUST HOW CONTAGIOUS
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
>> RIGHT. SO IT’S MORE THAN A
FEELING THAT THAT THERE ARE
DATA THAT SUGGESTED THAT IT’S
AT LEAST TWICE IS INFECTIOUS.
AND SO THIS IS NOT A NEW VIRUS.
I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE A
LITTLE BIT PUZZLED BECAUSE THE
NAME IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT?
IT’S NOT DELTA ANYMORE. IT’S ON
THE KRON. IT IS THE SAME
SARS-COV 2 VIRUS. BUT THIS ONE
HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF MUTATIONS
IN IT. THAT MAKES IT WILEY HERE
AND SNEAKY OR IF YOU WILL, MORE
PEOPLE CAN GET INFECTED.
BUT FROM ONE PERSON, THEN FROM
THE DELTA, WHICH WAS ALREADY
PRETTY INFECTIOUS.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING
BOOSTER SO TALK ABOUT THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BOOSTER AT
THIS POINT WHEN IT COMES TO
DELTA OMICRON. WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST GETTING
THAT SECOND SHOT FROM PFIZER
MODERNA AND THEN HAVING THIS
3RD ONE?
>> RIGHT. WELL, BECAUSE OF ALL
THESE MUTATIONS AND CHANGES
IN THE OMICRON VERSION OF THE
SARS-COV 2 VIRUS, THE 2 SHOTS
ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH TO
EFFECTIVELY PROTECT YOU FROM
GETTING INFECTION. SO YOU NEED
A BOOSTER. AND IT’S VERY CLEAR
THAT WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS OF
GETTING THAT BOOSTER SHOT, YOU
HAVE A SURGE IN THE AMOUNT OF
PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES THAT YOU
MAKE AND
FULL PROTECTION FOR THE FULL
IMPACT OF THE BOOSTER USUALLY
TAKES PROBABLY 10 TO 14 DAYS,
BUT DATA LIKE IS BEING SHOWN ON
THE GRAPH NOW SHOW US THAT THE
POPLE WHO ARE BOOST AND START
TO SHOW THAT THEY’RE PROTECTED
SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THEIR
BOOSTER. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
BUE LINE SHOWS PEOPLE WHO ARE
BOOSTED AND YOU SEE THE LINE IS
KIND OF FLATTENS NOT GOING UP.
THAT MEANS CASES AREN’T
HAPPENING IN THAT BOOSTED
GROUP. WHERE IS IN THE RED
LINE? THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO
WEREN’T BOOSTED AND OVER TIME
YOU SEE CASES GO UP AND IT’S
IMPORTANT TO NOTICE THAT THOSE
2 LINES REALLY START TO DIVERGE
AFTER ABOUT 7 DAYS. SO IF
YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT HOW LONG
DO I WAIT AFTER MY BOOSTER
BEFORE? I’M MORE PROTECTED, IT
WOULD BE AT LEAST 7 DAYS BUT
FULL BENEFIT OF THE BOOST IS
PROBABLY GOING TO BE SEEING
MORE LIKE IT 10 TO 14 DAYS.
>> HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT
A SURGE WITH THE UPON US?
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT
THAT IN AND DID WE SEE ANYTHING
FOR THANKSGIVING? DOESN’T SEEM
LIKE WE DID.
>> NO, NOT NOT. MUCH HAPPENED
AFTER THANKSGIVING, BUT THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND THE
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. THAT’S
COMING UP IS THE EMERGENCE OF
THE OMICRON. AND WE KNOW THAT
OMICRON HAS ARRIVED IN SAN
ANTONIO. THAT’S BEEN WELL
REPORTED AND IT’S BEEN IN SAN
ANTONIO SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER
27TH. AND WHAT WE’RE SEEING
LOOKING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY AND OTHER PARTS OF THE
WORLD IS THAT ONCE THE OMICRON
TAKES HOLD BECAUSE IT HAS
HIGHER INFECTIOUSNESS, IT TAKES
OVER AND ANDOVER TAKES THE
DELTA. SO FOR THIS WE CAN
EXPECT A SURGE IN CASES IN THE
UNVACCINATED PEOPLE AND IN THE
UN BOOSTED PEOPLE. SO PEOPLE
NEED TO GO OUT AND GET BOOSTED.
>> YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE RECEIVED THE JOHNSON AND
JOHNSON SHOT OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
NOT GOTTEN ANY VACCINATION
WHATSOEVER. THEY MAY HEAR THIS
NEWS ABOUT THE JOHNSON AND
JOHNSON SHOT TODAY AND THAT MAY
RAISE FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR
THEM ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THESE
VACCINES. AND WE’RE TELLING
PEOPLE TO GO GET BOOSTED.
SO WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE IN TERMS OF FRAMING THE
NEWS TODAY FROM THE CDC, BUT
ALSO THE NEED FOR THAT BOOSTER.
>> WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO HAVE SOME
CONFIDENCE IN THE FACT THAT
ALL OF US ARE WATCHING THESE
DATA VERY CAREFULLY. AND
THERE’S TRANSPARENCY HERE WERE
TELLING PEOPLE WHEN WE HAVE
UPDATED INFORMATION AND IT’S
LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE THE
MRNA VACCINES ARE BETTER
CHOICE. SO RATHER THAN SAY I’M
FRIGHTENED OF ANY VACCINE
BECAUSE OF THIS NEW INFORMATION
ABOUT THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON.
ONE SHOULD SAY, WELL, ISN’T
IT GREAT? THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
WORKS. WE HAVE NEW DATA.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S A WAY
TO MAKE A MORE INFORMED CHOICE
AND LET’S GO AFTER THE VACCINES
THAT WE KNOW REDUCE OUR RISK
OF INFECTION, HOSPITALIZATION
AND DEATH AND WHICH HAVE AN
INCREDIBLY ROWING, AN EXCELLENT
TRACK RECORD OF SAFETY WITH
OVER 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON THE
PLANET HAVEN’T GOTTEN A DOSE OF
COVID-19 VACCINE AT THIS POINT.
DOCTOR BERGER, GO TALK ABOUT
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN SEEING WITH
THE POP-UP CLINICS. A LOT MORE
KIDS ARE GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL.
NOW FOR THE BREAK.
>> THERE’S A LOT GOING ON.
AND ALSO I KNOW THERE’S A
SPECIAL EVENT THAT’S GOING TO
BE HAPPENING AT TRAVIS PARK
THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
>> YES, WELL, I THINK THERE’S A
BIT OF GOOD NEWS WE’RE SEEING A
REAL UPTICK IN ATTENDANCE AT
OUR MOBILE VACCINE. POP-UP
CLINICS. I WAS AT AN EVENT
EARLIER THIS WEEK AND WE
VACCINATED 48 PEOPLE WHICH BUT
CERTAINLY ABOVE OUR AVERAGE
AND I’M SEEING 5 TO 11
YEAR-OLDS THAT ARE STEPPING UP
ALONG WITH THEIR MOMS AND DADS
AND THEIR PEERS. AND I THINK A
LOT OF ADULTS WHO DO WELL TO
FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF THE 5 TO
11 YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE COMING IN
AND GETTING PROTECTED. AND I
WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH
EVERYONE IF WE CAN SHOW THE
GRAPHIC
THIS THAT’S AVAILABLE ON
DECEMBER 22ND. IT’S CALLED
MIRACLE AT TRAVIS PARK. IT’S A
FREE VACCINATION CLINIC AT THE
PFIZER VACCINE AND FOR SECOND
3RD DOSES WILL BE AVAILABLE.
BOOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE ADULTS
AND CHILDREN INFLUENZA VACCINE
AS WELL. AND ALL OF THIS IS
FREE. NOT ONLY ARE THE VACCINES
FREE. THERE WILL BE SPURS
PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAYS. THE
TRANSIT WILL HAVE A NEW COST
BUS TRANSPORTATION AND IT’S A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND
HAVE SOME FUN AS A FAMILY AND
GET PEOPLE PROTECTED.
>> GREAT IDEA. MIRACLE AT
TRAVIS PARK WITH THE SPURS.
IT IS NEXT. I THINK IT’S NEXT.
WHAT? WEDNESDAY?
THE 22ND.
>> BACK AND 22ND 10:00AM TO
05:00PM. ALL THE INFORMATION
RIGHT THERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE
YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE CITY’S
WEBSITE AS WELL. DOCTOR RUTH