LATEST ON THAT. WHITE HOUSE
COVID RESPONSE TEAMS TODAY
SAYS IT'S FOCUSING ON A PLAN
TO UNDERSTAND AND TREAT LONG
COVID CONDITIONS OR SYMPTOMS
OF SOME PEOPLE WHO ALREADY GOT
THE VIRUS MIGHT STILL BE
FEELING. MAYBE, YOU KNOW
SOMEONE WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH
LONG COVID A NATIONAL RESEARCH
TEAM NOW PLANS TO CITY 40,000
PEOPLE TO LOOK AT HOW THEY'VE
BEEN MONTHS AFTER THEY GOT THE
VIRUS.
>> AND TODAY THE CDC IS ALSO
LAYING OUT WHO SHOULD AND
SHOULD NOT GET A 4TH SHOT. THE
AGENCY'S DIRECTOR TALKING
EXCLUSIVELY YOU SEE HERE WITH
OUR OWN ERICA EDWARDS FOR THE
FIRST TIME SINCE THE CDC
RECOMMENDED A SECOND BOOSTER
FOR ADULTS AGES 50 AND UP,
DOCTOR ROCHELLE WALENSKY
SAYING THERE'S NO DOWNSIDE TO
GETTING ANOTHER SHOT AND THAT
OMICRON COUNTS IS A NATURAL
BOOST FOR THE VACCINATED.
LISTEN.
>> FOR THOSE PEOPLE, EVEN WITH
HIGH CONDITIONS OVER THE AGE
OF 65. IF YOU RECENTLY HAD
OMICRON THAT PROBABLY SERVED
AS YOUR NATURAL BOOST. SO YOU
PROBABLY DON'T NEED ONE
BECAUSE YOU JUST RECENTLY HAD
YOURSELF A NATURAL IN THOSE
SITUATIONS. YOU MAY WANT TO
WAIT 2 OR 3, 3, OR 4 MONTHS
BEFORE YOU GET ANOTHER WORDS
IS JOINING US NOW ERIC. A
GREAT INTERVIEW WITH DOCTOR
WALENSKY, GREAT EXCLUSIVE.
WHAT ELSE DID SHE TELL YOU. IN
ADDITION TO OMICRON BEING SORT
OF THAT NATURAL BOOST FOR
OTHERWISE. FOR PEOPLE WHO
OTHERWISE ARE UP TO DATE ON
THEIR COVID VACCINES. SHE ALSO
CLARIFIED THAT PEOPLE HEALTHY
PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF
5065 WHO TECHNICALLY, QUOTE,
QUALIFY FOR THAT SECOND
BOOSTER MAY NOT ACTUALLY NEED
ONE, ESPECIALLY AS COVID CASES
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS
CONTINUE TO FALL ACROSS MOST
OF THE DOCTOR WALENSKY ALSO
SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT
STEP FOR HER AND OTHER PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS IS REALLY
KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN THIS FALL.
WILL WE NEED.
>> SINCE SHOT A'S 3RD BOOSTER WHAT EVERYONE 10 THIS POINT.
WHAT EVERYONE 10 THIS POINT.
HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> YOU KNOW, THE NEXT STEP IS
WE AT CDC AND THE FDA ARE
GOING TO BE PUTTING OUR HEADS
TOGETHER, AS DIVERT PACKED
MEETING TOMORROW ACTUALLY AND
AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THE
NEXT PHASE OF THIS LOOKS LIKE
WHAT WILL THE NEXT VACCINE BE
HOW WE PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
AND WHAT WILL THE FALL LOOK
LIKE.
>> NOW. SHE ALSO SAID THERE'S
NO DANGER THERE'S NO KNOWN
SIDE EFFECT OR RISK. IF YOU
WANT TO GET A BOOSTER NOW.
PLUS POTENTIALLY ANOTHER ONE
IN THE FALL SHOULD ONE BECOME
AVAILABLE LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
THIS. THIS DEEPER LOOK INTO
LONG COVID. WE KNOW THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
STARTED LOOKING INTO THIS LAST
FALL. WHY ARE WE BACK ON THIS
NOW. WELL, IN PART TO LIGHT A
FIRE UNDER THIS SLUGGISH
BILLION DOLLARS STUDY THAT WAS
ANNOUNCED BY NIH ACTUALLY IN
FEBRUARY OF 2021 TO 18 TO
ENROLL 20,000 LONG COVID
PATIENTS. WHEN I CHECKED IN A
YEAR LATER THIS PAST FEBRUARY,
THE STUDY HAD ONLY ENROLL JUST
OVER 1000 PATIENTS ALLOW. NOW
TODAY'S ACTIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO ACCELERATE THAT IN A
MOMENT. ACTUALLY INCREASE IT
TO 40,000 PATIENTS. BEFORE I
LET YOU GO, I KNOW THE DOCTOR
TALKED ABOUT OR IS GETTING A
LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT
THIS REVAMP OF THIS AGENCY
WOULD LOOK LIKE SHE DID TALK
WITH SHE SHE I KNOW IS FACING
QUESTIONS ON THAT HERE. WE
DON'T KNOW IF HIS REVAMPED
LOOKS LIKE YET, RIGHT. WHAT
SHOULD WE BE KEEPING AN EYE ON
OUR RADAR FOR. YES, IT GOING
TO BE A MONTH LONG REVIEW LED
BY SENIOR MEMBER LONGTIME
MEMBER OF THE HHS. ALL IT'S
GOING TO BE A MULTI-LAYERED
APPROACH TO THIS KIND OF
REVIEW IN PART TO TRY TO
MODERNIZE ITS DATA COLLECTION
PROCESS, THE DATA THAT IT'S
GETTING FROM STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS. I REMEMBER EARLY
ON IN THE PANDEMIC TRYING TO
GET NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY FROM
THE STATE WAS DIFFICULT
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY
WERE STILL USING PEN AND
OTHERWISE THEY JUST WANT TO
WORK ON CREATING FASTER
RESPONSES.
>> TO FUTURE OUTBREAKS AS WELL
AS PROVIDING MORE CLEAR
COMMUNICATION FROM PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS ON THEIR
RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT REVIEW
IS EXPECTED TO START NEXT
MONDAY THE 11TH ERIKA EDWARDS,
GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING US THAT
REPORTING CREATE IT.