SPOKESPERSON SAID THAT, QUOTE,
THEY APPRECIATED THE ACCOLADES
BY DR. BIRX AND HER TEAM FOR
ALLEGHENY COUNTY'S RESPONSE.
AS WE HEAD INTO THE FALL, A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING IT A
NEW STAGE FOR THE PANDEMIC.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO
WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING.
WE HAVE AN EXPERT WITH US
TONIGHT ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES
AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR
SECURITY AND HE IS A NATIVE IN
THE PITTSBURGH AREA.
DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR TAKING
THE TIME WITH US TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
Reporter: DOCTOR, HOW ARE
YOU FEELING AS WE ARE PREPARING
FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND?
THIS HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF
IN THE HUMAN POPULATION.
ANY ACTIVITY THAT YOU ARE GOING
TO DO THAT WILL BRING YOU IN
INTERACTION WITH OTHERS ARE A
RISK.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO
STAY AT HOME AND NOT DO
ANYTHING BUT WEAR COMMON SENSE
PRECAUTIONS AND WEAR A FACE
COVERINGS, AND STAY SIX FEET
APART AND STARKS A -- STAY AWAY
FROM CROWD AREAS AND WE CAN'T
GET IT TO ZERO BUT JUST STAY
SMART.
Reporter: HOW OPTIMIST THEY
COULD WE HAVE A VACCINE BY THE
END OF THIS YEAR?
I THINK IT'S HIGHLY
OPTIMISTIC.
IT'S USUALLY IN YEARS, NOT
MONTHS BUT WE MAY SEE A LITTLE
BIT OF PRIORITY GROUP OFS LIKE
HEALTH CARE WORKERS BUT FOR THE
GENERAL POPULATION TO BE
VACCINATED WE ARE LOOKING MID-
20 21.
Reporter: IT WAS REPORTED
THAT THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY
HEALTH DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE
FITZGERALD SAID THAT THEY
RECEIVED SHOTS AS PART OF A
VACCINE TRIAL.
SHOULD REGULAR PEOPLE SIGN UP
FOR THE VACCINE?
I THINK THEY SHOULD ENROLL
IN THE VACCINE TRIALS.
REMEMBER.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE GUARANTEED
THAT YOU GET THE VACCINE.
YOU MIGHT GET THE PLACEBO BUT
THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ENROLL,
THE MORE WE'LL GET TO THE END
POINTS OF THE PHASE THREE
CLINICAL TRIAL AND IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT THEY ENROLL IN
THE VACCINE TRIALS, AND I
RECOMMEND IT.
Reporter: YOU'RE A LOCAL GUY
AND WENT TO CARNEGIE MELLON AND
WE REPORTED ISSUES ON COLLEGES
CONTAINING THE SPREAD.
ARE THEY DOING IT RIGHT?
IT'S A MIXED PICTURE.
IF YOU ARE OPENING A COLLEGE IN
AN AREA WHERE THE OUTBREAK IS
NOT UNDER CONTROL YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A PLAN TO PROTECT YOUR
STUDENTS AND POPULATION AND
COLLEGES ARE LIKE MASS
GATHERINGS.
THIS WILL BE VERY, VERY
CHALLENGING TO DO.
THE KEY THING IS WHEN YOU HAVE
POSITIVE CASES THEY SELF
ISOLATE THE INDIVIDUALS USING
ANOTHER FACILITY AND A DORM OR
A HOTEL.
BUT THIS WILL BE THE NEW NORMAL
UNTIL WE HAVE THE VACCINE.
SO WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT AT
THE COLLEGE LEVEL.
Reporter: AS WE HEAD INTO
FALL, WHAT IS THE NEXT PHASE
THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT?
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
THIS VIRUS HAS SPREAD SO
EFFICIENTLY THAT IT HAS
ESTABLISHED ITSELF IN THE
PUBLIC.
IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE, AND
THIS VIRUS IS WITH US EVERY
TIME WE STEP OUT THE DOOR AND
WE HAVE TO THINK OF OUR RISK
TOLERANCE AND WAYS TO TRY AND
LIMIT THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY OR
ONE SIZE FITS ALL, AND THIS IS
SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE
ADJUSTED TO.
WE VAUNT -- EVENT HAD A THREAT
SINCE PENICILLIN.
Reporter: WE ARE HEARING
REPORTS ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME
BETWEEN THE FLU SHOT AND THE
VACCINE.
THE BEST TIME FOR THE FLU
SHOT IS OCTOBER BUT IF YOU CAN
ONLY GET IT NOW IN SEPTEMBER,
WE GET IT NOW AND WE RECOMMEND
IN OCTOBER BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT
THE VACCINE WEARS OFF AT THE
END OF THE SEASON BUT RIGHT
NOW, THIS SEASON IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO GET A FLU VACCINE
AND WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT
OF THE HOSPITAL SO WE HAVE ROOM
FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS THERE.
IS NO SPACING.
JUST GET THE FLU VACCINE.
THAT'S THE BEST MESSAGE I CAN
GIVE YOU.
