ON
ON TODAY'S 2 ON YOUR SIDE TOWN HALL... WILL YOU TAKE THE
VACCINE?
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
>>> On today's 2 underside town
hall, will you take the vaccine, a lot of people say no
although scientist stress that
you should, we will talk about
the concerns with expert.>>>
FACEBOOK ONE-ON-ONE, THE SOCIAL
MEDIA GIANT ANSWERS QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE ROLE MISINFORMATION
IS PLAYING IN PEOPLE NOT WANT
TO GET SHOTS.
>>> AND JOINING US LIVE TO TALK
ABOUT WHY HE IS JOINING THE
EFFORT AGAINST SCHOOL ZONE
CAMERAS IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
>>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ON
THE TOWN HALL.>> I AM MICHAEL
WOOTEN, STARTING WITH SOMETHING
THAT COULD THREATEN A LOT OF
THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND
GETTING PEOPLE IMMUNE TO THE
CORONAVIRUS, IN VACCINE SEPSIS.
>> A NEW POLL SHOWS ONE THIRD
OF AMERICANS SAY THEY WON'T GET
VACCINATED OR THEY PROBABLY
WON'T, THE SKEPTICISM IS
GREATEST AMONGST YOUNGER
PEOPLE, WITHOUT COLLEGE
DEGREES, BLACK AMERICANS AND
REPUBLICANS.
>> AMONG THOSE WHO SAY THEY
DEFINITELY WON'T GET THE
VACCINE, MOST SAY THEY ARE
WORRIED ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS
OTHER CONCERNS ARE THAT THEY
DON'T THINK THEY WILL NEED IT,
THEY THINK IT WON'T WORK, OR
THEY JUST DON'T TRUST THE
GOVERNMENT.>>> FACEBOOK IS OUT
WITH NEW SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
WESTERN NEW YORKERS, ASKING
ABOUT THE VACCINE, WE WILL GET
TO THAT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
>>> WE WILL COME TO THE SHOW,
AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST, AND FRONT OF
THE SHOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING
BACK WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME,
ALWAYS ENJOY HAVING YOU -- YOU
HAVING ME.
>> AND THE BIGGEST QUESTION
FROM THE SKEPTICISM, IT IS OF
COURSE, TWO THIRDS OF THE
POPULATION ARE WILLING TO GET
THE SHOT, THAT MEANS MAYBE ONE
THIRD ARE NOT, ARE WE GOING TO
HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE VACCINATED
TO REACH HERD IMMUNITY AND
ESSENTIALLY IN THE PANDEMIC?
>> I THINK IT IS A VERY COMPLEX
QUESTION, YOU LET INTO IT VERY
WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A
UNIFORM PROCESS OR PROBLEM.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
REASONS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT
GETTING THE VACCINE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE VACCINE RESISTANT, AND
OTHERS WHO ARE VACCINE
HESITANT.
SO THEN YOU LOOK WITHIN THE
GROUPS, AND AGAIN, THE FEAR OF
SIDE EFFECTS, THE FEAR OF NOT
KNOWING IF IT IS SAFE,
UNFORTUNATELY OUR GOVERNMENT
HAD CALLED THIS OPERATION WARP
SPEED, WHICH GAVE THE IDEA THAT
THIS WAS JUST BEING RUSHED
THROUGH.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH, THE VACCINES HAVE
BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY WELL
VETTED, THE CDC ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON IT, THE FDA,
VACCINE ADVISORY GROUP, THE
INFORMATION THAT THOSE PEOPLE
HAVE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US
TO LOOK AT, AND I THINK THERE
IS CLEARLY SAFETY.
EVERYTHING HAS A LITTLE BIT IN
THE WAY OF SIDE EFFECTS, THERE
HAVE BEEN REALLY FEW
SHOWSTOPPERS, I THINK WHAT
THOSE OF US WHO ARE VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE
IMMUNIZE, ESPECIALLY FOR ME AS
AN INTERN, GETTING ADULTS
IMMUNIZED, IS AGAIN, GOING
AFTER THAT GROUP THAT IS
HESITANT.
AND EDUCATING THEM THAT IT IS
SAFE AND THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE
MINIMAL, AND ALL THE
FOOLISHNESS THAT HAS BEEN
PROPAGATED ABOUT, I DON'T EVEN
WANT TO REPEAT THEM, BUT YOU
KNOW, THE SILLY THINGS THAT
HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT THIS, ALL
OF THAT STUFF IS UNTRUE.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO
GET A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE
VACCINE HESITANT PEOPLE, WITH
TIME, ABLE TO MOVE THEM ALONG
AND GET THEM IMMUNIZED.
>> WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE BEING
CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY AND SIDE
EFFECTS, AND SAYING THAT'S NOT
NECESSARILY SOMETHING THEY
SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT,
UNDERSTANDABLY IF THEY ARE,
WHAT SHOULD THEY BE CONCERNED
ABOUT IF THEY DECIDE NOT TO GET
THE VACCINE?>> WELL, THE BIG
CONCERN IF THEY DON'T GET IT
FALLS INTO 2 CATEGORIES, NUMBER
1, PERSONALLY WHAT HAPPENS TO
THEM, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE
OTHERWISE IN A GROUP THAT IS
HIGH RISK, HAVING A BAD OUTCOME
WITH THIS INFECTION, OR IF THEY
TRANSMIT IT TO OTHER PEOPLE AND
THEIR FAMILY, GRANDPARENTS OR
OTHER PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK,
THERE IS THAT VERY DOWN-HOME
POINT, THAT THIS WILL AFFECT
SOMEONE INDIVIDUALLY OR THEIR
FAMILY, AND THEN THERE IS THE
BIGGER SOCIETAL EFFECT THAT YOU
TALK ABOUT, OUR NEED TO GET TO
POPULATION IMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO
GET TO A CERTAIN NUMBER, AND WE
DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE
NUMBER IS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE
SOMEWHERE PROBABLY IN THE 70 OR
80% RANGE, SO IT'S GOING TO BE
VERY IMPORTANT, THERE'S A
REASON THAT THE KAISER FAMILY
FOUNDATION, THEY HAVE AN
ONGOING SIMILAR SURVEY TO THIS
NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH
CENTER ONE, SHOWING THAT
ROUGHLY ABOUT 71 OR 72% OF
PEOPLE NATIONWIDE SAY THEY WILL
GET VACCINATED, WE NEED TO KEEP
PUSHING THAT, WE WANT TO GET AS
HIGH A PERCENTAGE AS WE CAN,
AND THAT WILL GIVE US THE BEST
CHANCE OF BREAKING THE CYCLE,
AND BRINGING THIS PANDEMIC TO
AN END, WHICH WE ALL
DESPERATELY WANT.
>> THAT IS HALF THE BATTLE AND
THE OTHER HALF IS PRODUCING
ENOUGH VACCINE AND GETTING IT
INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS.
YOU MENTIONED THE
MISINFORMATION, FEELING SO MUCH
SKEPTICISM, WE ARE GOING TO
TALK WITH SOMEONE FROM FACEBOOK
TO SEE WHAT FACEBOOK IS DOING,
BUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, I
WONDER IF YOU CAN ADDRESS SOME
OF THE MISINFORMATION OUT
THERE, I KNOW IT'S NOT GOOD TO
REPEAT IT, BUT ONE THING I'VE
BEEN ASKED ABOUT SO MUCH AND
SPREAD SO MUCH AS PEOPLE SAYING
THERE ARE X NUMBER OF DEATHS
ALREADY ATTRIBUTED TO THE
VACCINE, SOMEONE EMAILED ME
TODAY AND SAID THE NUMBER IS
NOW UP TO 550, IT IS JUST NOT
TRUE, THE CDC HAS CONNECTED
ZERO OF THOSE TO THE VACCINE,
CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT?
>> SURE, THE PROBLEM THAT WE
HAVE IS THAT WE TEND TO
TEMPORALLY ASSOCIATE THINGS, IF
YOU'RE GIVING VACCINE TO PEOPLE
WHO ARE OLDER, THERE ARE GOING
TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THEM
WHO DIE ON A REGULAR BASIS
ANYWAY OF HEART DISEASE AND
STROKE AND CANCER WHATEVER IT
IS, SO THEY HAVE TO GET THE
VACCINE, AND THEN A MONTH LATER
THEY HAVE A HEART ATTACK AND
DIED, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
THEY DIED FROM THE VACCINE, SO
YOU ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE IN THE
GROUPS, WHO HAD THE VACCINE AND
PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T, WHAT WE FIND
IS THAT THERE REALLY IS NO
EXCESS OF DEATHS.
THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE DON'T
LIKE TO REPEAT, INJECTING
MICROCHIPS AND IT WILL MAKE YOU
STARE RYLE AND ALL THESE KIND
OF THINGS, THIS IS ABSOLUTE
NONSENSICAL CONSPIRACY THEORY
TYPE OF STUFF.
-- STERILE.
AND THE TWO VACCINES THAT WE
HAVE, THE 2 MRNA VACCINES,
PFIZER AND MODERNA, AND
HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE THE
JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE,
WHICH IS AN ADENOVIRUS VACCINE,
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GET
APPROVED SOMETIME OVER THE
COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW WEEKS,
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT BY THE
SPRING WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF
VACCINE AVAILABLE, AND IN THE
PROBLEM IS GETTING IT
ADMINISTERED TO PEOPLE.
THAT ONCE WE HAVE THE STOCK, IT
MAKES IT EASIER TO MOVE US
FORWARD.>> WE SO APPRECIATE THE
INFORMATION, DR. JOHN SELLICK.
FAVOR BEING HERE .
>>> VACCINE SKEPTICISM IS LOWER
IN OUR REGION, AT LEAST FROM
INFORMATION FROM FACEBOOK.
>> SERVING 50,000 PEOPLE A DAY
NATIONWIDE, HERE IS A MAP OF
ALL THE METRO AREAS, GENERALLY
THE LIGHTER THE COLOR, THE MORE
VACCINE HESITANCY.
>> SPECIFICALLY AT BUFFALO
METRO AREA, IF PEOPLE WERE
ASKED TODAY, WOULD YOU TAKE IT,
76% SAID DEFINITELY YES, OR
PROBABLY YES, THAT IS BETTER
THAN THE STATE AND NATIONAL
AVERAGES.
>> PART OF FACEBOOK'S EFFORTS
TO COMBAT VACCINE
MISINFORMATION, TAKING DOWN
POSTS THAT ARE PROVABLY FALSE
OR CONSPIRACY THEORIES.
>> EARLIER TODAY I TALKED ABOUT
THAT WITH LAURA MIKE GORMAN, A
PUBLIC POLICY EXPERT.
WITH THE DATA TEAM.
>> OBVIOUSLY FACEBOOK IS USED
BY SOME PEOPLE TO SPREAD
MISINFORMATION, HOW DO YOU
BALANCE THAT DESIRE TO
CRACKDOWN ON THE IS
INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY
SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS VACCINE
ACCEPTANCE, WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME NOT CLAMPING DOWN ON FREE
SPEECH RIGHTS?
>> SURE, WE DRIVE PRETTY CLEAR
LINE BASED ON THE GUIDANCE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, AND WE
ONLY TAKE DOWN HOAXES THAT BEEN
WIDELY DEBUNKED BY THE SCIENCE,
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A NEW VACCINE
AND LEGITIMATELY SO, PEOPLE
WILL HAVE QUESTIONS, IS A
VACCINE SAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
AND CHILDREN, THESE ARE THINGS
THAT SCIENTISTS HAVE YET TO
CONFIRM, SO WE WILL ALLOW
PEOPLE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS
ONLINE AND DEBATE AROUND THINGS
THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN
DISPROVEN BY SCIENCE, BUT WILL
WE HAVE A FACT THAT IS WHY THE
DISPROVEN BY SCIENTISTS AND
LEADING EXPERTS, THAT'S WHEN WE
HAVE TO EXERCISE A POLICY TO
TAKE THAT DOWN, BECAUSE WE
REALLY WANT CREDIBLE
INFORMATION RISING TO THE TOP
AND MISINFORMATION NOT AS
EASILY ABLE TO BE FOUND, WE
KNOW THAT MISINFORMATION DRIVES
AN ABSENCE OF THE TRUTH, AND WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CREDIBLE
INFORMATION IS INDEED RISING TO
THE TOP.
>> RECOGNIZING THAT CAN BE SORT
OF A DIFFICULT BALANCE RIGHT?
>> IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO
PUT PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS OF
THE DRIVE IS -- IN THE DRIVERS
SEAT, EXPERTS TELLING US WHAT
ARE THE HOAXES THAT HAVE BEEN
WIDELY DEBUNKED AND HOW CAN WE
PUT SCIENTISTS AND EXPERTS IN
THE DRIVING SEAT.>> FACEBOOK IS
ALSO GIVING HEALTH
ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT $120
MILLION IN FREE ADVERTISING, SO
THEY CAN AMPLIFY PROVEN
INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES,
PLUS FACEBOOK CREATED A VACCINE
INFORMATION CENTER TO HELP
PEOPLE FIND OUT THINGS LIKE
WHERE TO GET VACCINATED.
AND WE KNOW MICHAEL, SOME OF
THESE POSTS CAN SPREAD LIKE
WILDFIRE, SO IT IS A TOUGH
BATTLE.
>> I ASKED FLAT OUT, PEOPLE WHO
ARE CRITICAL OF FACEBOOK FOR
DOING ANY CENSORING OF THIS, I
WOULD SAY WOULD YOU SAY TO
PEOPLE WHO SAY I DON'T ONE MARK
ZUCKERBERG DECIDING WHAT'S TRUE
AND FALSE, AND THEY WERE SAYING
YES, THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS,
IT IS THE INDEPENDENT