PANDEMIC TO AN END.
HODA?
>> ALL RIGHT.
I’LL TAKE IT, MORGAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
JOINING US NOW IS ALEX AZAR,
SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES.
>> SO GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WE’RE WATCHING THIS ROLL-OUT
LIVE ON AIR.
THIS IS THE FIRST DAY THAT
AMERICANS ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY
GET SHOTS IN THE ARM.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A MEDIA EVENT
LATER WHERE PATIENTS WILL GET
SOME SHOTS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU EXPECT TO
BE VACCINATED THIS WEEK WITH
THIS FIRST BATCH?
>> WE ARE SENDING OUT 2.9 DOSES
OF VACCINE.
THAT WILL BE UP TO OUR NATION’S
GOVERNORS AND WHERE WE HAVE SENT
THE VACCINE.
HOPE TO SEE AS MUCH AS HUMANLY
POSSIBLE USED THIS WEEK.
>> THERE ARE ROUGHLY SIX MANAGER
PFIZER DOSES.
IT IS A TWO-DOSE REGIMEN SO
PRESUMABLY THREE MILLION PEOPLE
FROM THE FIRST BATCH WILL BE
ABLE TO GET VACCINATED.
YOU SAID WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET
20 MILLION PEOPLE VACCINATED BY
THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS IN
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS.
ARE YOU STILL STICKING BY THAT
TIME LINE?
>> CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
WE KNOW WE HAVE THE VACCINE
AVAILABLE TO GET TO 20 MILLION
PEOPLE BY THE END OF DECEMBER
AND A TOTAL OF 50 MILLION BY THE
END OF JANUARY.
100 MILLION PEOPLE BY THE END OF
THE MARCH.
BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE 100 MILLION
SHOTS IN TERMS IN FEBRUARY
BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND DOSES.
TODAY IS SUCH A HISTORIC DAY AS
WE HOPEFULLY SEE THE LIGHT AT
THE END OF THE TUNNEL OF THIS
HORRIBLE PANDEMIC AND THE TOLL
OF HUMAN SUFFERING WE HAVE SEEN.
I’M EXCITED I WILL BE ABLE TO
SEE SOME FRONT LINE HEALTH
WORKERS GETTING VACCINATED
TODAY.
>> OBVIOUSLY THERE IS THAT
PRIORITY FOR FRONT LINE WORKERS,
NURSING HOME RESIDENTS, THE
ELDERLY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ARE
THINKING, OKAY, WHAT ABOUT THE
REST OF US?
WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE LIKE THE
FLU SHOT WHEN YOU CAN GO INTO
YOUR PHARMACY AND GET THE SHOT
AS SOON AS YOU WANT IT.
HOW SOON WILL THAT HAPPEN?
>> I THINK WE COULD BE SEEING
THAT BY LATE FEBRUARY GOING INTO
MARCH.
REALLY, AGAIN, IT IS GOING TO BE
UP TO OUR NATION’S GOVERNORS,
BUT WITH THE MODERNA AND PFIZER
VACCINE, WE WILL HAVE AS MANY AS
FEBRUARY.
IF WE GET APPROVED IN JANUARY,
WE’LL HAVE SIGNIFICANT
ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES.
AGAIN, LATE FEBRUARY, INTO MARCH
TIME PERIOD, I THINK YOU WILL
START SEEING MUCH MORE LIKE A
FLU VACCINATION CAMPAIGN.
>> THE GENERAL POPULATION?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> WOW.
OKAY.
LET’S TALK ABOUT VACCINE
SKEPTICISM.
I JUST SAW A POLL THAT CAME OUT
THIS MORNING FROM ABC NEWS AND
IF SO IT SAYS THAT 88% OF
AMERICANS WERE WILLING TO GET
THE VACCINE, WHICH IS A HIGHER
NUMBER THAN I HAVE SEEN BEFORE
IN POLLS.
BUT IT SAYS 44% OF THEM WANTED
TO WAIT.
DIDN’T WANT TO GET IT RIGHT
AWAY.
SHOULD PEOPLE WAIT?
>> WELL, I WOULD ADVISE PEOPLE
TO DO WHAT THEIR GOVERNORS SAY
IN TERMS OF PRIORIZATION.
JUST AS WE ARE ROLLING OUT THESE
HISTORIC NEW SUPPLIES, BY THEIR
NATURE, WE WILL ALL BE GETTING
IT.
>> IF YOU COULD GET IT, SHOULD
YOU GET IT RIGHT AWAY IF YOU ARE
IN LINE AND YOUR TIME IS UP?
>> I HOPE YOU WILL.
THIS IS A 94% EFFECTIVE VACCINE.
IT’S GONE THROUGH EVERY ASPECT
OF FDA PROCESS WITH INTEGRITY
AND TRANSPARENT DATA.
NO, IF YOU ARE RECOMMENDED TO
GET IT AND IT IS AVAILABLE TO
YOU, PLEASE DO GET IT AND
PROTECT THOSE AROUND YOU.
PLEASE GET THE VACCINE.
>> YOU JUST MENTIONED INTEGRITY
AT THE FDA PROCESS.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU BECAUSE YOU
AND OTHER OFFICIALS ARE OUT
THERE THIS IS SAFE.
IT’S SCIENCE THAT DICTATED THIS.
JUST ON FRIDAY THE PRESIDENT WAS
TWEETING AGAIN AND SAID AMONG
OTHER THINGS GET THE DAMN
VACCINES OUT NOW.
STOP PLAYING GAMES AND START
SAVING LIVES.
DOES THAT DRIVE UNITS SOMEBODY
SITTING THERE SAYING, NO, IT HAS
NOTHING TO DO ABOUT POLITICS.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT SCIENCE.
>> WHAT I CAN ASSURE YOU AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE IS WE HAVE
CALLED EVERY BALL AND STRIKE
ACCORDING TO THE PROCESS HERE,
SCIENCE, EVIDENCE, LAW.
THE FDA ANNOUNCED THEY HAD
ALREADY COMMUNICATED TO PFIZER
THEY WOULD BE APPROVING THE
VACCINE.
I MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT WE WOULD
BE DOING THAT.
EVERYTHING HAS GONE ACCORDING TO
THE NORMAL FDA SCIENTISTS HERE.
CAREER SCIENTISTS MADE THE CALL.
I WILL ENSURE THE INTEGRITY OF
THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW
THESE VACCINES, THESE
THERAPEUTICS ARE SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE THROUGH A REGULAR,
STANDARD, TRANSPARENT PROCESS
THAT WE USE.
>> WELL, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO,
IT IS A HAPPY DAY IN TERMS OF
VACCINE.
OUR HATS ARE OFF TO THE
SCIENTISTS WHO WORKED SO HARD TO
REACH THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE,
BUT WE’RE ABOUT TO CROSS ANOTHER
MILESTONE.
300,000 AMERICAN DEATHS.
90% CAPACITY IN ITS ICU BEDS.
HOW DIFFICULT ARE THESE NEXT FEW
MONTHS GOING TO BE?
>> I’M ACTUALLY GLAD YOU
MENTIONED IT BECAUSE WHILE IT IS
A HISTORIC AND HAPPY DAY IN
TERMS OF THE HOPE.
IT IS ALSO A CALL TO ACTION.
WE ARE IN THAT BRIDGING PERIOD.
PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS, WATCH
YOUR DISTANCE, WEAR YOUR FACE
COVERINGS AND BE CAREFUL OF
THOSE INDOOR GATHERINGS WHERE
YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN BECAUSE
WE HAVE THESE VACCINES COMING TO
YOU.
I WANT YOU TO BE THERE TO GET
THESE VACCINES.
I WANT EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY
TO BE THERE.
SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
BE VERY CAREFUL.