UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE FOR
EVERYONE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE
BEING CAUTIOUS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
FOR MORE ON WHERE WE STAND WITH
THE VACCINE PLUS HOW TO STAY
SAFE WITH INDOOR ACTIVITIES, WE
HAVE DR. JOHN TORRES AND DR.
NATALIE AZAR.
I GUESS MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHERE
DO WE STAND WITH A VACCINE AND
WHAT DOES THE TIMELINE LOOK LIKE
FOR APPROVAL?
>> GOOD MORNING.
WITH THE VACCINE RIGHT NOW,
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR COMPANIES
THAT HAVE GONE INTO PHASE THREE
HERE IN THE U.S.
MODERNA, PFIZER, AND THE OXFORD
ASTRAZENECA VACCINE.
THEY’RE STARTING TO RECRUIT
PEOPLE.
THEY’RE GOING TO GET AROUND
30,000 PEOPLE EACH.
GIVE THEM A VACCINE OR A PLACEBO
AND THEN FOLLOW THEM ALONG TO
SEE IF THEY GET THE VIRUS.
IF THEY GET THE VIRUS, IF THEY
HAVE LESS COMPLICATIONS.
TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE SAFETY AND
EFFICACY OF THE VACCINE.
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR WE MIGHT HAVE
THE VACCINE BY THE ELECTION OR
BY THE END OF THE YEAR, A LOT OF
EXPERTS I TALK TO ARE SAYING
EARLY SPRING WE MIGHT BE GETTING
IT.
EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION THAT DR.
FAUCI WAS TALKING ABOUT FOR SOME
POPULATIONS.
>> ON THAT NOTE, ONCE THE
VACCINE IS APPROVED,
DISTRIBUTION WILL BE THE KEY
OBSTACLE.
HOW WILL IT BE DECIDED WHO GETS
IT FIRST?
>> AND DISTRIBUTION WILL BE THE
BIG KEY HERE.
THEY CAME OUT WITH A
RECOMMENDATION LOOKING AT WHAT
THEY CALL FOUR PHASES OF VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION.
AND HOPEFULLY THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOLLOWED.
BUT THE CDC, OPERATION WARP
SPEED WILL BE INVOLVED.
YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE
ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT BREAKS DOWN
TO IS THE FIRST PHASE ARE GOING
TO BE HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN THE
FRONT LINE WHO CAN’T GET AWAY
FROM COVID PATIENTS.
THEY HAVE TO BE THERE.
IT’S GOING TO BE PEOPLE WITH
PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
AND THE ELDERLY WHO ARE MORE
VULNERABLE.
THEN SWITCH TO PHASE TWO.
THOSE ARE MORE THE CRITICAL
WORKERS, ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT
HAVE TO GO OUT THERE TO KEEP
SOCIETY WORKING.
THEY MIGHT ALSO TAKE COVID BACK
HOME.
AND AGAIN THE ELDERLY IN THOSE
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
AND PHASE THREE ARE THE CHILDREN
AND ADULTS.
THE PHASES MEAN THAT OBVIOUSLY
WE CAN’T GIVE 330 MILLION
VACCINATIONS ALL AT ONCE.
SO THEY’RE GOING TO BREAK IT
DOWN INTO WHICH GROUP GETS THEM
AT WHAT POINT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE
HERD IMMUNITY.
ONCE WE GET TO A, HOPEFULLY WE
CAN GET THE PANDEMIC MORE UNDER
CONTROL.
>> FINALLY, LET ME SQUEEZE THIS
IN.
A WATER COOLER QUESTION.
THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THIS
IS MOVES TOO FAST.
SO HERE’S MY QUESTION.
IF THE VACCINE WAS APPROVED FOR
EMERGENCY USE, LET’S SAY
TOMORROW, WOULD YOU BE WILLING
TO GET IT IN THE FIRST WAVE?
>> AND SHEINELLE, IT DEPENDS ON
WHAT THE DATA COMES OUT WITH.
THAT’S WHAT DR. FAUCI WAS
TALKING ABOUT.
LOOKING AT THE DATA MAKING SURE
THAT IT’S ACCEPTABLE.
THAT WE’VE GOT ENOUGH THROUGH
THE PHASE THREE TO UNDERSTAND
THE SAFETY PRIMARILY AND THE
