SIMILAR MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN
IN OTHER STATES AS WELL.
>> MIGUEL, THANK YOU.
DR. RICHARD BESSER IS NOW CEO OF
THE ROBERT WOOD FOUNDATION.
GOOD MORNING.
LOTS TO TALK ABOUT.
CAN WE START IN ENGLAND?
JUST OVERNIGHT, THE AUTHORITIES
THERE ISSUED AN ADVISORY ABOUT
ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO THE PFIZER
VACCINE THAT’S BEING
ADMINISTERED NOW THERE, SAYING
THAT IF YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
HISTORY OF ALLERGIES, YOU
SHOULDN’T GET THIS PARTICULAR
VACCINE.
THAT SEEMS INCREDIBLY BROAD AND
VAGUE TO ME.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU TOTALLY.
IT’S EXTREMELY BROAD AND VAGUE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE DATA THAT
PFIZER POSTED, THAT THE FDA
POSTED IN TERMS OF THEIR
ANALYSIS, THEY DIDN’T FIND AN
ISSUE IN TERMS OF ALLERGIES, BUT
I WOULD SUSPECT BECAUSE OF THIS
REPORT OUT OF THE UK, IT WILL BE
SOMETHING THAT THE FDA ADVISORY
COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE MEETING
TOMORROW WILL CONSIDER.
BUT IT IS BROAD.
WE NEED A WILL THE MORE
INFORMATION ON THAT.
>> YEAH.
IT’S BASE EDD ON TWO CASES, SO
PERHAPS IT’S AN ABUNDANCE OF
CAUTION.
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST
MENTIONED, WHICH IS WE GOT KIND
OF A TREASURE TROVE OF
DOCUMENTS, SCIENTIFIC DATA THAT
THE FDA HAS BEEN SCRUTINIZING,
AND ACCORDING TO ONE EXPERT SAID
IT’S BASICALLY AN A-PLUS REPORT
CARD FOR A VACCINE.
THERE WAS SOME GOOD DATA IN
THERE.
WHAT STRUCK YOU ABOUT IT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS
ABOUT THE FDA PROCESS.
IT’S VERY TRANSPARENT.
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO CAN GO
ONLINE AND LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS
THAT THE FDA DID ON THIS.
AND I WOULD AGREE.
THIS IS THE REPORT OF A VACCINE
THAT IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE.
SO, 94, 95% EFFECTIVE AND
EXTREMELY SAFE.
YOU CAN EXPECT TO GET A SORE ARM
FROM THIS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE
SECOND DOSE.
YOU CAN EXPECT TO FEEL PRETTY
LOUSY, BUT THAT’S YOUR BODY
REACTING TO THIS AND BUILDING AN
IMMUNE RESPONSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY
EXCITED ME ABOUT THE REPORT,
THOUGH, IS THAT THEY FOUND A
SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF PROTECTION,
GREATER THAN 50%, ONE WEEK AFTER
THE FIRST DOSE.
IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU DON’T NEED A
SECOND DOSE.
YOU DO, BECAUSE IT’S -- YOU
KNOW, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IN
TERMS OF HOW LONG YOUR IMMUNITY
LASTS AND GETTING UP TO THAT 94,
95% PROTECTION.
FOLLOWING THAT FIRST DOSE,
PEOPLE WHO GET THAT VACCINE
COULD EXPECT TO SEE SOME
BENEFIT.
>> THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION.
I MEAN, THAT IS SO EXCITING, TO
THINK THAT YOU COULD -- YOU’RE
NOT JUST GOING TO HAVE THOSE TWO
WEEKS AND YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE
SECOND SHOT BUT YOU’LL GET SOME
PROTECTION WHILE YOU WAIT.
REALLY GOOD NEWS.
ON THE NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS, I SAW
SOME HOSPITAL DATA ANALYZED IN
THE NEW YORK TIME THIS IS
MORNING, SAYING MORE THAN A
THIRD OF AMERICANS LIVE IN AREAS
WHERE HOSPITALS ARE RUNNING
CRITICALLY SHORT OF INTENSIVE
CARE BEDS AND ONE IN TEN
AMERICANS ACROSS THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHWEST LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE
THE INTENSIVE CARE BEDS ARE
EITHER COMPLETELY FULL OR FEWER
THAN 5% OF BEDS ARE AVAILABLE.
WHAT DOES THIS SAY TO YOU,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE STILL
WAITING FOR THE THANKSGIVING
SURGE?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, SAVANNAH, IT’S SUCH AN
IMPORTANT POINT.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE EXCITING NEWS
ABOUT VACCINES, YOU CAN GET THE
SENSE OF, WOW, IT’S OVER.
WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ANYMORE.
THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS
PERIOD OF THE PANDEMIC.
OUR HOSPITALS ARE FILLING UP.
HOSPITALS ARE LOOKING AT
SOMETHING CALLED CRISIS
STANDARDS OF CARE, AND THIS IS
SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE
SPRING.
IT’S WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR
HOSPITAL IS FULL?
HOW DO YOU SHARE RESOURCES TO
MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN GET
TREATMENT?
BUT IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE WITH
COVID NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IN,
THINK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING
CHEST PAIN, PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DIABETES THAT’S OUT OF CONTROL
OR SOMEONE WHO FEELS A LUMP IN
THEIR BREAST AND NEEDS TO GET
THAT EVALUATED FOR CANCER.
WHEN OUR HOSPITALS ARE FULL,
IT’S NOT JUST PEOPLE WITH COVID
WHO SUFFER.
IT’S EVERYBODY.
SO, WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON
WEARING MASKS AND KEEPING APART.
IF CONGRESS DOESN’T PROVIDE
SUPPORT TO PEOPLE, THEN THERE
ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO WORK EVEN
IF THEY’VE BEEN EXPOSED, EVEN IF
THEY FEEL SICK.