UPS SAYS IT WILL PICK UP THE
PACKAGES AS MORE SPACE BECOMES
AVAILABLE.
>>> TURNING NOW TO OUR SERIES
ACROSS THE PLATFORMS OF NBC
NEWS, FOCUSED ON A RACE FOR A
VACCINE.
FROM THE VERY START, BILL GATES
HAS DEVOTED NOT ONLY HIS TIME
BUT ALSO HIS MONEY TO FINDING A
SOLUTION.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED
IN HEALTH INITIATIVES AROUND THE
WORLD FOR YEARS NOW, GATES’
FOUNDATION HAS CONTRIBUTED $450
MILLION TO THE GLOBAL COVID-19
RESPONSE.
>> HE FAMOUSLY WARNED ABOUT A
GLOBAL PANDEMIC BACK IN 2015 IN
A TED TALK.
WE FIRST SAT DOWN BACK IN APRIL
WHEN WE WERE JUST WEEKS INTO THE
PANDEMIC AND STILL FIGURING IT
OUT.
NOW, WITH AT LEAST ONE VACCINE
APPROVED IN THE UK ALREADY, AND
HOPEFULLY SEVERAL GREEN LIGHTS
TO COME HERE IN THE U.S., WE
SPOKE AGAIN ABOUT WHERE THINGS
STAND AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING.
IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE IN THAT
DREADED SECOND WAVE, WE’RE IN
THAT DARK WINTER.
HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT HOW WE’RE
HANDLING THERE?
>> WELL, IT’S A PARADOXICAL
SITUATION BECAUSE THINGS ARE
GETTING WORSE RIGHT NOW.
SO THE NEXT FOUR, FIVE MONTHS
ACTUALLY LOOK PRETTY GRIM UNLESS
WE CAN REALLY DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR
BEHAVIOR.
BUT THE TOOLS, BOTH TREATMENT
TOOLS LIKE ANTIBODIES AND SOME
OF THESE AMAZING VACCINES, WILL
START TO ROLL OUT.
BY THE SPRING, THOSE NUMBERS
WILL BE BIG ENOUGH THAT,
CERTAINLY IN THE UNITED STATES,
IT’LL START TO CHANGE THE
NUMBERS DRAMATICALLY AND, YOU
KNOW, WE’LL BE HEADED BACK TO
NORMAL.
>> IT’S THE CLASSIC, IT’S ALWAYS
DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN, BUT WE
HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO MAKE IT
LESS DARK.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE?
>> WELL, THE MOST IMPACTFUL
THING IS ASSOCIATING WITH PEOPLE
LESS, WEARING A MASK WHEREVER
YOU MIGHT BE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE
OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD, YOU
KNOW, THE PROJECTIONS SHOW WE
COULD SAVE, OF THE SEVERAL
HUNDRED THOUSAND LIVES PROJECTED
TO BE LOST IN THESE MONTHS
AHEAD, 50,000 OF THOSE WOULD BE
SAVED IF WE HAD HIGH MASK
COMPLIANCE.
>> THE OBVIOUS BRIGHT SPOT HERE
IS THE RACE FOR THE VACCINE.
OBVIOUSLY, PFIZER JUST HAD
APPROVAL IN THE UK.
IT’S SEEMING TO BE ON THE VERGE
OF APPROVAL HERE IN THE U.S.
MODERNA, ANOTHER VACCINE, HOT ON
ITS HEELS.
IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU IN A
YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE A VACCINE
FOR A VIRUS WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW
EXISTED A YEAR AGO, WHAT WOULD
YOU HAVE THOUGHT?
>> IT’S UNHEARD OF.
EVEN WHEN WE SAW THE ANTIBODY
RESULTS TO THESE VACCINES, WE
DIDN’T KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE THEY
WOULD BE.
IT LOOKS LIKE ALMOST ALL THE
VACCINES ARE GOING TO SUCCEED.
IT IS GREAT SCIENCE, GREAT
INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING, GREAT
COOPERATION, EVEN ACROSS
COUNTRIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WAR
WHERE WE’RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER.
>> WHEN YOU SAW THAT 90% PLUS
EFFECTIVE RATE, DID YOUR JAW
DROP?
>> THAT WAS PHENOMENAL.
THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AT THE HIGH
END OF EXPECTATIONS.
THIS IS A GREAT VACCINE, SO IT’S
GREAT FOR COVID AND IT’S GREAT
FOR OTHER VACCINES, AS WELL.
>> AS EXCITING AND PROMISING AS
IT IS, DO YOU HAVE ANY HESITANCE
OR RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE WAY
SOME OF THIS INFORMATION IS
ROLLING OUT?
>> WELL, WE ARE MOVING QUICKLY,
BUT THE FDA HAS A VERY CLEAR
REVIEW PROCESS.
I WOULD SAY THEY’VE AVOIDED
BEING PRESSURED TO CUT CORNERS
ON THAT.
SOME OF THE EARLIER THINGS, YOU
KNOW, WHERE THEY APPROVED
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, OR THE WAY
THE PLASMA STUFF WENT WASN’T
THEM AT THEIR BEST.
WITH THE VACCINE HERE, THEY’VE
BEEN SUPER STRONG.
>> DO YOU HAVE FAITH IN OUR
GOVERNMENT’S ABILITY TO IMMUNIZE
AMERICANS ON THIS SCALE?
>> WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE
TRICKY, AND IT’S KIND OF WEIRD
THAT THE CDC, THROUGHOUT THIS
EPIDEMIC, HASN’T HAD THE VISIBLE
ROLE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE
EXPECTED.
A LOT OF THESE THINGS DELEGATED
TO THE STATES, IT WILL NOT BE
WHAT IT SHOULD BE, BUT, OVERALL,
I DO THINK WE’LL GET IT OUT.
IT’S JUST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
HAS ABDICATED ON MANY THINGS
DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
>> YOU’RE NOT ONE FOR POLITICS,
BUT THAT’S A PRETTY SERIOUS
INDICTMENT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
ABDICATED ON SOME OF ITS
FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN
A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
>> YEAH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
HAS WAY MORE RESOURCES THAN THE
STATES.
PUNTING IT TO THE STATES MEANS
IT WON’T BE PERFECT, BUT IT’LL
GET DONE.
>> WOULD YOU HAVE EXPECTED THE
U.S. TO HAVE DONE BETTER IN A
PAN
PANDEMIC?
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DO YOU BLAME THE PRESIDENT
FOR THAT?
>> THERE WILL BE A LOT OF THINGS
LIKE CONFUSED MESSAGING, LACK OF
LEADERSHIP, THAT WILL FALL ON
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND WE’LL
HOPE THAT THE NEXT TIME WE DO A
LOT BETTER.
>> LIEUTENANT GENERAL WHO IS IN
CHARGE OF SOME OF THE
DISTRIBUTION SAID THAT BY THE
END OF JUNE, 100% OF AMERICANS
WHO WANT A COVID VACCINE WILL
HAVE IT.
DOES THAT TIMELINE SEEM DOABLE
OR OVERLY OPTIMISTIC?
>> NO, I’D SAY THAT THINGS -- IF
WE HANDLE THE LOGISTICS AND
MESSAGING WELL, THAT SHOULD BE
ACHIEVABLE.
>> ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT
WIDESPREAD SKEPTICISM OR
RELUCTANCE TO GET THE VACCINE?
>> WELL, IF THIS WAS LIKE
MEASLES AND WE HAD TO GET UP TO,
LIKE, 95%, I’D BE VERY WORRIED.
AS IT IS, WE ONLY HAVE TO GET UP
TO PROBABLY 70%.
>> OF PEOPLE IMOK LATENOCULATED?
>> YEAH, PEOPLE WITH THE VACCINE
TO DROP THE NUMBERS DOWN
DRAMATICALLY.
SO I’M HOPEFUL THAT EVEN IF
PEOPLE ARE INITIALLY RELUCTANT,
WE’LL GET TO 70% AS PEOPLE SEE,
YOU KNOW, MORE DATA THAT SAYS,
"HEY, LOOK, PEOPLE ARE HAVING A
GOOD EXPERIENCE, AND IT IS
HELPING THEM NOT DIE."
>> WILL YOU PERSONALLY GET THE
FIRST VACCINE THAT’S OFFERED TO
YOU, AS SOON AS YOU CAN GET IT?
>> YEAH.
WHATEVER MY PLACE IN LINE
RIGHTLY IS, I WILL IMMEDIATELY
STEP UP AND TAKE THE VACCINE.
>> DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE, NOT
THAT YOU’LL GET A CHOICE, BUT DO
YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE ABOUT
WHICH EVACUATIONVACCINE?
>> I WON’T BE PICKY.
THEY’RE ALL GOOD VACCINES.
>> DO YOU FEEL HOPEFUL THAT
THERE IS A NEW ADMINISTRATION?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’LL HAVE A
BETTER PARTNER THERE TO WORK
WITH, IN TERMS OF THE
IMMUNIZATION AND THE EFFORTS
THAT ARE NEEDED GOING FORWARD?
>> YEAH, I THINK THERE WILL BE
LESS DENIAL.
I THINK WE’LL HAVE A MORE
CONSISTENT MESSAGE THAT, HEY,
WE’RE HERE TO -- EVEN IF THE
NEWS IS BAD, WE’RE GOING TO BE
FRANK WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING ON.
>> THIS FALL, YOU LOST YOUR
FATHER, WHO WAS VERY, VERY
SPECIAL TO YOU.
TO LOSE HIM AT THIS TIME, WHEN
THE COUNTRY IS FEELING SUCH
LOSS, HOW ARE YOU REFLECTING ON
THAT AND HOW HAVE YOU BEEN
DEALING WITH THAT?
>> YEAH, MY DAD WAS VERY
SPECIAL, A ROLE MODEL THAT I’LL
NEVER MATCH.
HE GOT THE FOUNDATION STARTED
WHEN I WAS STILL FULL TIME AT
MICROSOFT.
SO WHEN I MOVED OVER IN 2008,
IT’S ALREADY GOING VERY WELL,
BASED ON HIS WORK. HIS APPROACH OF JUMPING IN,
HIS APPROACH OF JUMPING IN,
THINKING BROADLY, YOU KNOW, IT
INSPIRED US AND I’M SURE HE
WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE THIS
ABILITY OF THAT TEAM TO PITCH IN
AND HELP WITH THIS PANDEMIC.
>> HIS FATHER WAS VERY
INSTRUMENTAL IN THE GATES
FOUNDATION
FOUNDATION, WHICH HAS BEEN
WORKING ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE
ALL THIS TIME.
NOW, WE’VE ALL HAD AN EDUCATION
IN IT, BUT THEY’VE BEEN DOING
THE WORK A LONG TIME.
ON MASKS, HE SAID SOMETHING
INTERESTING.
HE SAID, IF WE THOUGHT OF THEM
AS THE MAS-- MASKS ARE THE MIRAC
INTERVENTION.
IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVENESS,
BRINGING DOWN THE NUMBERS, THE
MIRACLE IS HERE, IT’S A MASK.
IT IS AN INTERESTING WAY TO
THINK ABOUT IT.
>> TO HEAR HIM SAY THAT 50,000
LIVES COULD BE SAVED BY JUST
THAT, JUST DOING THAT.
>> YEAH.
A LOT OF RESEARCHERS SAY THAT,
AT LEAST 50,000 LIVES.
HE ALSO SAID THAT THIS WORK
THAT’S BEEN DONE ON THE VACCINE,
WHICH IS INCREDIBLE BY ALL
ACCOUNTS.
WE’VE NEVER HAD A VACCINE COME
ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS FAST.
IT HAS RELEVANT TO OTHER
VACCINES AND OTHER TREATMENTS.
SO WHAT WE’RE LEARNING NOW, THIS
IS THE SILVER LINING.
THE SILVER LINING IS WHAT WE’RE
LEARNING NOW HAS GREAT RELEVANT
AND IMPACT IN THE FUTURE FOR
OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES.
>> I LIKE HOW HE THOUGHT BY
JUNE, EVERYONE WHO WANTS A
VACCINE COULD HAVE A VACCINE.
>> IF WE DO IT RIGHT.
>> FASCINATING CONVERSATION.
>> YEAH.
>> WE SHOULD ALSO MENTION, BY
THE WAY, THERE’S MORE OF OUR
NETWORK WIDE SERIES "ON THE RACE
FOR A VACCINE" ON A SPECIAL
HOUR-LONG EDITION OF "DATELINE"
TONIGHT AT 10:00 EASTERN/9:00