>>> WE'RE BACK.
7:40 WITH IN-DEPTH "TODAY."
AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON COVID AND
KIDS.
>> ACCORDING TO AN ALARMING NEW
STUDY BY NEW YORK STATE,
PFIZER'S VACCINE, WHILE 48%
EFFECTIVE AT REDUCING
HOSPITALIZATIONS SKIDS 5-11 IS
NOT VERY EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING
INFECTION.
>> IT SHOPPED FROM 68% IN
FEBRUARY TO JUST 12%.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR YOUR
KIDS AND FAMILY?
DR. BESSER JOINS US.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
IT IS A GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
STORY.
ON ONE HAND IT IS KEEPING KIDS
OUT OF THE HOSPITAL ABOUT 50%,
BUT IT IS NOT PREVENTING
INFECTION.
SO WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE
OF THIS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, FIRST I WOULD
NOT USE THE TERM ALARMING.
I WOULD USE THE TERM
DISAPPOINTING.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT IT
IS STILL QUITE EFFECTIVE IN
PREVENTING WHAT WE CARE MOST
ABOUT.
AND THAT IS SEVERE ILLNESS,
HOSPITALIZATION.
THANKFULLY IN THESE STUDIES
THERE WERE NO CHILDREN WHO DIED.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IN JUST ABOUT EVERY STATE
CONTINUES TO BE DRAMATIC
DECLINES IN THE RATES OF
TRANSMISSION.
THAT IS FOR NUMBER OF REASONS.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED AND IT
HAS TO DO WITH HOW CONTAGIOUS
THE OMICRON VARIANT WAS AND HOW
MUCH IT SPREAD.
SO AS A PEDIATRICIAN, AS I TALK
TO PARENTS, WHAT I WANT TO GAUGE
IS WHAT IS THERE COMFORT LEVEL
WITH RISK, HOW CONCERNING IS IT
IF THEIR CHILD WERE TO GET THIS?
MEANING DOES THEIR CHILD HAVE
MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT PUT THEM
AT INCREASED RISK AND WHAT IS
GOING ON IN THEIR PARTICULAR
COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU ARE IN A COMMUNITY
WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY,
REALLY LOW, AS A PARENT, I WOULD
FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT MY
CHILD WAS PROTECTED AGAINST WHAT
I CARE ABOUT MOST AND THAT IS
SEVERE ILLNESS.
IF I'M IN A COMMUNITY WHERE
THERE IS A LOT OF TRANSMISSION
GOING TO BE, I MIGHT BE
CONCERNED ENOUGH TO SAY WELL
LET'S KEEP OUR MASTS ON NOW.
>> LES TALK ABOUT MASKS A
SECOND.
LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE DROPPING THE
MASK MANDATE.
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY ALSO WELL.
IF YOU WERE A PARENT GIVEN THIS
DATA WOULD YOU DECIDE TO GO
MASKS ON OR OFF?
>> I WOULD LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S
GOING ON IN MY COMMUNITY.
THE NEW GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC I
THINK IS RIGHT ON TARGET IN
TERMS OF SAYING WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN MY COMMUNITY?
ARE THE HOSPITALS BEING
STRESSED?
OR ARE NOT.
ARE WE SEEING A LOT OF SEVERE
ILLNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE BEING HOSPITALIZED?
IS THERE PRESSURE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF
SEVERE ILLNESS AND WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN TERMS OF CASES?
IF I'M IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THAT
IS ALL LOOKING GOOD AND LOOKING
LOW AND MY CHILD IS NOT AT HIGH
RISK, I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE
TAKING THAT MASK OFF.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT
MASKS HAVE A COST TO THEM AS
WELL.
CHILDREN NOT BEING ABLE TO BE
CHILDREN, BEING CONTINUALLY
STRESSED, PUT THE MASK BACK ON,
KEEP AWAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS.
DON'T DO THOSE THINGS THAT
CHILDREN NEED DO FOR NORMAL
DEVELOPMENT.
THOSE THINGS HAVE A COST TO
THEM.
AND THE COST IS WORTH IT WHEN
YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF A
PANDEMIC WITH RAPID
TRANSMISSION.
IF YOU ARE IN A SETTING WHERE
THAT IS NOT THE CASE, THEN YOU
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY CHILD
WHO WANTS TO WEAR A MASK CAN.
AND ANY CHILD WHO NEEDS TO WEAR