FAUCI RECEIVES HIS FIRST DOSE OF
THE MRNDODERNA AXVACCINE ALONG W
OTHER TOP OFFICIALS.
>>> A NEW COVE ED STRAIN APPEARS
TO BE MORE CONTAGIOUS.
ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS, WE TURN
TO DR. NATALIE AZAR.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS FROM
BRITAIN AND SOUTH AFRICA OF NEW
CORONAVIRUS STRAINS THAT APPEAR
TO SPREAD MORE EASILY.
IT’S SCARY WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT
IT.
FOR PEOPLE WATCHING THIS MORNING
IS THERE REASON FOR ALARM AND
SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED THAT THE
CURRENT VACCINES WON’T PROTECT
AGAINST THESE NEW STRAINS?
>> YEAH, RIGHT.
SHEINELLE, EXPERTS PHYSICALLY
LOOK AT THREE THINGS WHEN HAVE
ARE VARIANTS TO A VIRUS, HOW
EASILY IT SPREADS, THE DISEASE
IT CAUSES AND WHETHER OR NOT
THERE’S PROTECTION.
YES, ABOUT 50% TO 70% MORE
TRANSMISSIBLE.
AT THE MOMENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO
BE, TO CAUSE MORE SEVERE
ILLNESS, ALTHOUGH EXPERTS URGED
CAUTION.
THERE IS A LAG FOLLOWING
INFECTION WHEN HOSPITALIZATIONS
AND DEATHS CAN OCCUR.
REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT IT CAN
PROVIDE PROTECTION.
AT THE MOMENT, EXPERTS ARE
SAYING THAT IT’S UNLIKELY THAT
THE VACCINE WILL NOT BE
EFFECTIVE AGAINST THIS NEW
STRAIN.
I WILL SAY, THOUGH, CURRENTLY
DOING STUDIES, ANTIBODIES FROM
THOSE WHO RECOVER AND RECEIVED
THE VACCINE AND DOING LAB
EXPERIMENTS TO SEE WHETHER OR
NOT IT NEUTRALIZED THE VARIANT.
>> KEEP US POSTED ON THAT.
>> CURRENTLY IN PHASE 1A OF
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
HEALTH CARE WORKERS, LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS TO GET
THE VACCINE.
CDC VOTED SUNDAY ON A
RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE PHASES
AS WELL.
SO WHO IS GOING TO GET THE
VACCINE NEXT?
>> RIGHT, DYLAN.
IN PHASE 1B, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
AGE 75 AND OLDER AS WELL AS WHAT
ARE CALLED FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS.
THIS INCLUDES FOLKS, FIRST
RESPONDERS, TEACHERS, FOLK WHOSE
WORK IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE,
POSTAL SERVICE, TRANSIT.
THEN PHASE 1A INC, AGE 65 TO 74
WELL AS PEOPLE AGE 60 TO 64 WITH
UNDERLYING CONDITIONS SUCH AS
KIDNEY DISEASE, CANCER, OBESITY.
AND REMAINDER OF ESSENTIAL
WORKER, WORK IN I.T., PUBLIC
SAFETY, WATER. PHASE 1B 49 MILLION PSHGS FACE
PHASE 1B 49 MILLION PSHGS FACE
1C ABOUT 129 MILLION PEOPLE.
>> DR. AZAR, DON’T HAVE TO
ANSWER BUT STILL GOING TO ASK.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN THE VACCINE YET?
>> WE JUST GOT OUR NOTIFICATION
THIS MORNING, LATE LAST NIGHT
WHEN ASLEEP.
I’M SCHEDULING IT.
THIS MORNING OR TOMORROW.
>> AND THE PFIZER VACCINE?
>> IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING WE ARE
STILL DOING THE PFIZER VACCINE
HERE, YES.
>> AND QUICK, LET YOU GET OUT OF
HERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF
REPORTS YOU KNOW ABOUT ALLERGIC
REACTIONS TO THE VACCINES.
IF PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AN
ELETTERINGIC REACTION WHAT
SHOULD THEY DO?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING, CRAIG,
TO AVOID THAT SCENARIO.
RIGHT?
SO NUMBER ONE, YOU’RE GOING TO
TALK TO YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER.
THERE WAS A SLIGHT MODIFICATION
FROM LAST WEEK.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE CDC SAID
CERTAINLY THAT IF YOU HAD HAD AN
ALLERGIC REACTION TO ANYTHING IN
THE CURRENT VACCINE, YOU SHOULD
NOT RECEIVE THAT VACCINE, AND
LAST WEEK THEY SAID EVER HAD AN
ALLERGY TO AN INJECTABLE PRODUCT
OR VACCINE, YOU SHOULDN’T GET IT
AND NOW SAYING YOU CAN HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HEALTH
CARE PROVIDER THAT THAT IS STILL
ON THE TABLE FOR YOU, AND IN
ADDITION IF YOU’VE HAD ALLERGIC
REACTIONS TO FOOD OR
MEDICATIONS, BUT TO PREVENT THAT
FROM HAPPENING, WHAT DO YOU DO
IF YOU’VE HAD AN ALLERGIC
REACTION, YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT
VACCINE IN A PLACE THAT HAS THE