>>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH

RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND

JENA FLANNIGAN.

"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

SILVIA A. AND SIMON B.VOITA

ENDOWMENT TO FIND ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE JOAN GAN SOONY FUND, BERNARD

AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA

HOPE ZUCKERBERG AND THE AMBER

MONELL FOUNDATION AND BY JANET

PRINDEL SIDE LER AND JODI

ARNHOLD, AND JUDY AND JOSH

WESTIN, DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA

STONE FOUNDATION.

♪

♪

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO

"METRO FOCUS."

I'M JACK FORD.

BEGINNING THIS WEEK, NEW YORKERS

16 AND OLDER ARE ELIGIBLE FOR

THE COVID VACCINE.

RIGHT NOW OFFICIALS SAY THE

STATE HAS ADMINISTERED 10

MILLION DOSES AND ONE-THIRD OF

NEW YORKERS HAVE RECEIVED AT

LEAST ONE DOSE MARKING ANOTHER

MILESTONE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST

THE CORONAVIRUS.

NATIONWIDE, PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS

CALLED FOR ALL STATES TO OPEN IT

UP TO ALL ADULTS TO APRIL 19th.

THE GROWING ELIGIBILITY LIST

COMES AS OUR REGION BATTLES THE

CONTAGIOUS VARIANTS AND A

POSSIBLE NEW WAVE, NEW YORK, NEW

JERSEY, CONNECTICUT ALL HAVE

SOME OF THE HIGHEST INFECTION

RATES RIGHT NOW IN THE COUNTRY.

SO WHERE ARE WE IN THIS RACE

BETWEEN GETTING MORE PEOPLE

VACCIN

VACCINATED AND A POSSIBLE NEW

WAVE?

HOW LONG WILL THE PROTECTION

LAST?

CAN IT OFFER RELIEF TO COVID

LONG HAULERS?

AND WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO REACH

HERD IMMUNITY?

JOINING US NOW TO HELP US ANSWER

THOSE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE

MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE VACCINE, WE ARE

DELIGHTED TO HAVE DR. DANIEL

GRIFFIN, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE

SPECIALIST AND ALSO THE CHIEF OF

THE DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS

DISEASES AT PRO-HEALTH NEW YORK.

WELCOME TO YOU.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.

>> LET'S GO THROUGH A WHOLE LIST

AND WE'LL TURN THIS INTO A

MASTER CLASS, IF YOU WILL, ON

WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

LET'S START WITH THE VACCINE

WHICH IS THE LOGICAL WAY TO

START.

WE'LL S.T.A.R.TART WITH MODERNA

PFIZER, JOHNSON & JOHNSON AND WE

TALKED ABOUT THE TESTING PROCESS

AND WHAT ARE WE LEARNING NOW IN

TERMS OF HOW EFFECTIVE THEY HAVE

BEEN IN REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE?

>> YEAH.

NO, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT

PLACE TO START.

WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE

STARTING WITH THE TOOLS THAT

WILL BE ENDING THIS PANDEMIC AND

WE HAD SOME PRETTY IMPRESSIVE --

I MEAN, IMPRESSIVE TO THE POINT

OF STARTLING, IMPRESSIVE RESULTS

FROM THE TRIALS.

WHEN THE FIRST DATA CAME OUT,

PFIZER, PREVENTING 95%, AND 94%

PREVENTING SYMPTOMATIC AND IN

THE TRIALS 100% AT PREVENTING

DEATH AND HOSPITALIZATION.

REALLY, I THINK PEOPLE ARE BLOWN

AWAY.

WE DID NOT EXPECT RESULTS THAT

GOOD AND THEN J & J CAME OUT AND

J&J, AND THE ADVANTAGE WAS ONE

SHOT.

THEY WERE LOOKING REALLY EARLY,

14 DAYS AND 28 DAYS AFTER THE

FIRST SHOT AND THEN I LIKE TO

SAY OUT THERE IN THE REAL WORLD,

VARIANTS, HIGH TRANSMISSION

RATES STILL 100% KEEPING PEOPLE

FROM DYING, 100% KEEPING PEOPLE

OUT OF THE HOSPITAL IN THESE

TRIALS AND SHOWING TREMENDOUS

EFFICACY AT KEEPING PEOPLE FROM

THE DISEASE.

THOSE ARE THE STUDIES AND THEN

COMES HOW WELL IS IT WORKING IN

THE REAL WORLD AND THAT'S THE

BIG QUESTION EVERYONE WANTS TO

KNOW, AND WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY

SEEING IS WE'RE SEEING THIS

TREMENDOUS LEVEL OF EFFICACY

EVEN IN REAL WORLD SITUATIONS.

I'LL PIN US DOWN, JACK, ON WHERE

WE'RE SEEING THE BEST DATA.

ISRAEL IS A LITTLE AHEAD OF US.

I HATE TO SAY THAT BEING A PROUD

AMERICAN, BUT WE'RE SORT OF

WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE

AND VERY QUICKLY WE WERE SEEING

EVEN AFTER JUST THE FIRST DOSE,

THEY STARTED OFF WITH THE PFIZER

VACCINE.

WE WERE SEEING 80% REDUCTION IN

THE NUMBER OF CASES AND NOW

WE'RE GETTING DATA AFTER THE

SECOND DOSE AND WE'RE SEEING

OVER 90%.

SO WE'RE SEEING REAL-WORLD DATA

DEMONSTRATING THE SAME,

TREMENDOUS LEVEL OF EFFICACY IN

THESE VACCINES.

WHEN YOU GET TO HOSPITALIZATIONS

AND DEATHS TREMENDOUSLY

EFFECTIVE TOOLS.

>> NOT THAT OFTEN IN LIFE THAT

YOU SEE THE ESTIMATES PLAYING

OUT BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD

ANTICIPATED ESPECIALLY GOING

WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITH

THIS DISEASE.

LET ME ASK YOU OTHER QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE VACCINATION AND ABOUT

EFFECTIVENESS.

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT HOW

LONG THIS EFFECTIVENESS CAN LAST

AFTER YOU'VE RECEIVED YOUR

APPROPRIATE VACCINE?

>> YEAH.

I THINK THIS IS KEY.

EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, IF I GET

MY VACCINE HOW LONG WILL THIS

PROTECTION LAST?

AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT TIME FOR

INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIANS

BECAUSE SUDDENLY EVERYONE IS

EDUCATED.

THEY WANT TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS

AND BEFORE THEY CAME IN AND GOT

WHATEVER SHOT.

THANK YOU.

AND MAYBE THEY LEFT WITH A CARD

TELLING THEM WHEN TO COME BACK

AND NOW THERE'S CURIOSITY HERE

AND THEY'RE STARTING TO GET THE

DATA AND THE DATA IS EVOLVING

AND IT RECENTLY EVOLVED IN FRONT

OF US WHICH IS GREAT.

THE INITIAL DATA, SOLID DATA ON

THE EARLY ROLLED OUT VACCINES

AND THAT WOULD BE THE PFIZER AND

MODERNA THAT WE HAD THREE MONTHS

OF GOOD PROTECTION.

WE ARE NOW SEEING, ACTUALLY

THAT'S SIX MONTHS AND I HAVE TO

SAY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LEVELS

OF PROTECTION AND WE LOOK AT

LEVELS OF ANTIBODIES, IT LOOKS

LIKE THAT TRAJECTORY WILL

SUGGEST AT LEAST A YEAR OF

PROTECTION, BUT I'M GOING TO

THROW IN A CAVEAT THERE BECAUSE

THE VIRUS IS CHANGING.

SO WHEN I SAY A YEAR I'M TALKING

A YEAR FROM THE ORIGINAL VIRUS

THAT CAME OUT OF WUHAN.

WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY

THROWING A BOOSTER, A

QUADRIVALENT BOOSTER PROBABLY

EARLY THIS FALL.

IT MAY BE THAT THIS IS A YEARLY

SHOT.

THAT'S THE PESSIMISM.

THE OPTIMISM IS WE'LL HAVE AT

LEAST A YEAR PROTECTION FROM

THIS SHOT.

THIS MAY BE A YEARLY THING OR

MAYBE LESS FREQUENT.

>> EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE

SCIENTISTS MEAN WHEN YOU SAY A

BOOSTER SHOT.

IS IT JUST ANOTHER SHOT?

ANOTHER ONE OF THE ONES THAT

YOU'VE GOTTEN OR WILL IT BE

MODIFIED IN SOME FASHION?

>> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

I WAS JUST ON A CONFERENCE CALL

IN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND

SOMEONE SAID DO WE HAVE

BOOSTERS?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BOOSTER?

IT'S EITHER THE SAME SHOT YOU

GOT BEFORE, JUST BOOSTING YOU

BACK UP AGAIN OR THAT BOOSTER

CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

IT CAN HAVE MODIFICATIONS TO

KEEP UP WITH CHANGES THAT THE

VIRUS MIGHT HAVE.

WHEN YOU SAY BOOSTER, TIME WILL

TELL WHETHER THAT'S THE SAME

QUADRIVALENT, SHOT, YEAR AFTER

YEAR OR WHETHER OR NOT THAT

SHOT, MUCH LIKE THE FLU SHOT WOO

WILL BE AN UPDATED BOOSTER THIS

YEAR.

WE ASKED ABOUT THE ASTRAZENECA

VACCINE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS

EXPRESSED IN EUROPE.

THERE WERE SUGGESTIONSOR AT

LEAST CONCERNS THAT INSTANCES OF

BLOOD CLOTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN

ASSOCIATED IN SOME FASHION WITH

THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE WHAT

I'VE SEEN WERE 30 OR 40

INSTANCES OF BLOOD CLOTS IN

PERHAPS 15 MILLION, MAYBE MORE

VACCINATIONS.

SO NOT STAGGERING NUMBERS, BUT

WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT

ANY NUMBERS.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE ASTRAZENECA

VACCINE RIGHT NOW AND DOES IT

APPEAR THAT ULTIMATELY A

DECISION WILL BE MADE AND THAT

IT IS, INDEED, SAFE ENOUGH TO

CONTINUE ITS USE.

>> YEAH.

THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE IS A

LITTLE TOUGH, TO BE HONEST.

IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE

OTHER VACCINES.

THE WAY THE VACCINES WORK IS WE

ARE EDUCATING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

ABOUT THE SPIKE PROTEIN WHICH IS

WHAT SARS COVID II, THE VIRUS

THAT GIVES US COVID-19 WILL

AFFECT OURSELVES OR IT CAN HAVE

A NICE, ROBUST RESPONSE AND WHAT

PEOPLE LEARNED A WHILE AGO IS

THAT IT CAN CHANGE ITS SHAPE AND

CONFIRMATION ASK ALL OF THE

OTHER VACCINATION STRATEGIES ARE

BASED UPON STABILIZING IT IN

THIS PRE-FUSION STATE, WE CALL

IT.

ASTRAZENECA SAID WE CAN PROBABLY

THROW IT IN AND NOT DO THAT.

SO THERE IS A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN ASTRAZENECA AND OTHER

PLATFORMS AND THERE'S BEEN A

COUPLE OF BUMPS IN THE ROAD FOR

ASTRAZENECA.

FIRST, EARLY ON WITH THE ISSUE

WHERE THEY HAD A MANUFACTURING

CHALLENGE AND PEOPLE WERE

GETTING HALF THE DOSES AND WE

DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT IT UNTIL LATER

AND THE SIDE EFFECTS THAT WERE

LEAKED OUT OF BOARD MEETINGS AND

PROPERLY ANNOUNCED, MAYBE AS WE

LOOK BACK ON IT AND NOW THE

LATEST BUMP IN THE ROAD HAS BEEN

THIS BLOOD CLOTTING ISSUE.

A FEW MORE, AND WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT AN EASILY TREATABLE

COMPLICATION WITH AN INCIDENT

THAT WE'RE SEEING IS A ONE IN A

MILLION VERSUS WE LOOK AT COVID

WHERE YOUR CHANCES OF DYING ARE

ONE OR TWO IN A HUNDRED.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BALANCED

ISSUES WHERE YOU SAY THE

PREPONDERANCE OF SCIENTIFIC

EVIDENCE DURING A PANDEMIC

FAVOR, YOU KNOW, USING ALL OF

THE TOOLS WE HAVE.

AND IN A ONE IN A MILLION CHANCE

OF GETTING A BLOOD CLOT VERSUS A

ONE IN A HUNDRED CHANCE OF DYING

YOU CAN DO THOSE NUMBERS AND SAY

THERE IS A PLACE FOR THIS

VACCINE AT THIS POINT OF THE

PANDEMIC.

AS WE MOVE FORWARD WE MAY WANT

TO REASSESS THAT ISSUE.

>> WE TALKED ABOUT ASTRAZENECA

BEING USED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE

WORLD.

IS THERE ANTICIPATION THAT IT

WOULD ALSO BE UTILIZED HERE IN

THE UNITED STATES?

>> RIGHT NOW ASTRAZENECA IS NOT

APPROVED FOR USE IN THE U.S.,

BUT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN

GETTING APPROVAL.

TOO MANY ISSUES WITH THE

MANUFACTURING PLANT THAT WAS

MAKING BOTH J&J, AND THE

ASTRAZENECA.

THE PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT,

RIGHT, IS THEY MIXED THE

INGREDIENTS OF THE TWO AND THE

TURNAROUND WAS LET'S JUST MAKE

J&J, IN THAT FACTORY BECAUSE

THAT'S WHAT'S APPROVED HERE.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING GOING

FORWARD.

WE HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES WITH THE

MODERNA, PFIZER AND J&J, FOR THE

ENTIRE U.S. POPULATION.

MORE THAN ENOUGH PARTICULARLY

BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE

THAT MAY CHOOSE NOT TO GET

VACCINATED.

SO IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME THAT WE

NEED ASTRAZENECA HERE IN THE

UNITED STATES.

ASTRAZENECA IS ALSO UNLIKE THE

RNA VACCINES, SOMETHING THAT

DOESN'T REQUIRE TO BE FROZEN OR

THERMAL SHIPPERS.

ASTRAZENECA MAY PLAY MORE OF A

ROLE THAN THE U.S.

>> THAT IS WE'VE HEARD THE TERM

COVID LONG HAULERS, PEOPLE WHO

APPEAR TO BE RECOVERING AND

PERHAPS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF

TIME, EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS.

YOU'VE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED?

'S A SUGGESTION THAT THE

ADMINISTRATION MIGHT PROVIDE

SOME HELP FOR THE COVID LONG

HAULERS.

>> COULD BE ONE OF THE FEW,

OPTIMISTIC BEING -- THERE WAS

THIS OLDZ?

DOES MAKING SURE THEY WERE NOT

IN THE HOSPITAL AND THEY STARTED

GREAT FALL LOW UP.

FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF

INDIVIDUALS THIS IS NOT JUST A

TWO-WEEK ILL HAPPENS AND WE'RE

HEARING NUMBERS AND IT SEEMS TO

BE CONSISTENT.

20% TO 30% OF ADULTS WHO GET

COVID MAY CONTINUE TO SUFFER

MONTHS AFTER WARD AND THIS HAS

BEEN DEVASTATING.

IN A SENSE, THERE ARE TWO TYPES

OF PATIENTS AND THERE ARE

PATIENTS THAT HAVE HAD SUCH

SEVERE COVID THAT THEIR LUNGS

ARE SCARRED AND THERE'S

PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THEIR HEART.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT SEEING THE

BENEFITS OF THE VACCINE BECAUSE

THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF

SCARRING AND DAMAGE THAT IS NOT

REVERSIBLE, BUT 80%, 90% OF

PEOPLE DON'T END UP IN THE

HOSPITAL, BUT YET THEY HAVE

DEBILITATING NEUROLOGICAL

CHALLENGES AND THE BRAIN FOG.

THEY CAN'T WRITE THEIR OWN NAME

AND THEY HAVE TROUBLE COMPLETING

A SENTENCE AND THEY CAN'T RETURN

TO WORK AND ARE EXHAUSTED AND

HAVE TROUBLE GOING UP AND DOWN

THE STAIRS.

>> FOR THAT LARGER POPULATION,

WE'RE SEEING 30%, 40% OF THEM

ARE SEEING IMPROVED WITH

VACCINES.

SO NOT EVERYONE, BUT MY GOSH,

30%, 40% IF THIS PANS OUT FOR

THE LARGER STUDIES AND WE HAVE

ONE GOING.

AKIKO UP, AND LET'S GET A REAL

NUMBER AND LET'S GET A BUNCH OF

PEOPLE LONG COVID AND LET'S

REALLY FOLLOW THEM PROSPECTIVE

TO SEE WHAT IS THAT% AND WHAT IS

THAT CHARACTERISTIC AND WHICH

PATIENT IS LIKELY TO GET BETTER

AND THEN HOPEFULLY IT WILL GIVE

US INSIGHT INTO WHY ARE SO MANY

PEOPLE SUFFERING, SO IT IS NOT

JUST 30%, 40%, BUT WE CAN GET

60% OR BETTER, AS WELL.

>> SOME OPTIMISM HERE.

>> YES.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE

QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAVE AS THEY'RE

ABOUT TO RECEIVE THEIR VACCINES

OR IF THEY'RE HESITANT ABOUT IT

AND THIS MIGHT HELP THEM IN

TERMS OF SAYING, OKAY, I WILL GO

DO THIS RIGHT NOW.

IF IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SAY

BEFORE BECAUSE THERE IS A BIT OF

A MISCONCEPTION THAT THESE

VACCINATIONS ARE NOT ESSENTIALLY

INJECTING THE VIRUS INTO YOU.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

>> SO IF SOMEONE SAYS I'M

THINKING ABOUT THE VACCINATION

OR I AM GETTING THE VACCINATION,

WHAT IS THE COMMON REACTION TO

EXPECT FROM THAT?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THESE

VACCINES WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN

THE FLU SHOT IS A SIGNIFICANT

NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILL SAY FOR A

DAY OR TWO AFTER THE VACCINE AND

THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE FIGHTING

SOMETHING OFF.

THEY FEEL SICK.

THEY'VE GOT THE MUSCLE ACHES AND

WE CERTAINLY SEE HEADACHES AND

FEVERS.

PEOPLE WHO HAD COVID BEFORE AND

GET VACCINATED IN GENERAL

THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE

SYMPTOMS AND THE SECOND DOSE IF

WE'RE DOING A MODERNA OR PFIZER

APPROACH.

THE SECOND DOSE HAS A LITTLE BIT

MORE OF THOSE SIDE EFFECTS.

SO, YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE -- I

WOULD HAVE TO SAY FRIDAYS ARE A

POPULAR DAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET

VACCINATED AND I GUESS IF YOU

DON'T LIKE YOUR JOB, MONDAY

WOULD BE A BETTER CHOICE TO GET

A DAY OR TWO OFF.

>> NO, THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT WE'RE

SEEING AND THERE WAS A LOT OF

CONCERN EARLY ON ABOUT THIS

ANAPHYLAXIS AND IT'S NOT AS HIGH

A LEVEL AS WE WERE CONCERNED IT

WOULD BE.

>> ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE TALKING

WITH AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE

SPECIALIST AT COLUMBIA

UNIVERSITY HEAD OF INFECTIOUS

DISEASE AT PRO HEALTH NEW YORK.

MY WIFE AND I HAD BOTH OF OUR

SHOTS AND NEITHER OF US HAD REAL

PROBLEMS AT ALL AFTERWARDS.

I, AFTER THE SECOND ONE, HAD A

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SLIGHT, VERY

DULL HEADACHE THAT BASICALLY

DIDN'T WAKE ME UP AND WAS GONE

BY MORNING.

SO ANECDOTALLY WHEN PEOPLE ASK

ME, WE'RE FINE.

LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS SUCH AS

YOU AND GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

>> HERE'S A QUESTION FOR YOU

THAT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY,

SHOULD I BE TAKING SOME SORT OF

PAIN RELIEVER EITHER BEFORE MY

VACCINATION OR AFTER MY

VACCINATION?

WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT?

>> YEAH.

I THINK YOUR EXPERIENCE IS VERY

TELLING, JACK.

MOST PEOPLE WHO GET THE VACCINE

ACTUALLY FEEL FINE.

I JOKE THAT, LIKE, I HAD A FEW

MINUTES OF FEELING FRUSTRATED

AFTER MY SECOND SHOT, BUT THAT

WAS AFTER I OPENED AN E-MAIL

FROM ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES.

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FEEL

ABSOLUTELY FINE.

SO THERE'S NO REASON TO

PREEMPTIVELY MEDICATE AND

THERE'S THOUGHT THAT IT GIVES

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM A CHANCE TO

BE EDUCATED SO YOU DON'T GO GET

THE VACCINE PRE-MEDICATED.

>> SO IF YOU GO THE NEXT DAY AND

YOU FEEL CRUMBY, THESE ARE

ROBUST VACCINES AND IT'S FINE TO

TAKE TYLENOL OR IBUPROFEN EARLY

AND IT'S FINE TO TAKE SOMETHING

TO TREAT THOSE SYMPTOMS.

IF THERE'S MINIMAL IMPACT, IT'S

EXACTLY THAT.

JUST MINIMAL.

IN THE TRIALS PEOPLE TOOK THESE

MEDICATIONS AND WE SAW AS

PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED INCREDIBLY

ROBUST EFFICACY.

>> WE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT WHAT

WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT HOW LONG

THE PROTECTION CAN BE LASTING

HERE AFTERWARDS.

ANOTHER QUESTION WE HEAR RAISED

OFTEN IS ONCE YOU HAVE RECEIVED

YOUR -- ALL OF YOUR DOSES OF

YOUR VACCINATION AND THE TWO

WEEKS OR SO AFTER THE SECOND ONE

HAS GONE BY ONE OF THE QUESTIONS

PEOPLE ASKING IS CAN YOU THEN

TRANSMIT -- CAN YOU TRANSMIT THE

VIRUS TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND HOW

CONCERNED SHOULD YOU BE AT THAT

POINT THAT YOU CAN, ONCE AGAIN,

CONTRACT IT?

SO I'M GOING TO TURN THIS INTO

THREE QUESTIONS, JACK AND NOT

ONLY THE ANSWERS TO THE

QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE AND YOU HIT THIS

PERFECTLY, THE VACCINE DOESN'T

TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

WE, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M ON A

NATIONAL VACCINE COMMITTEE FOR

UNITED HEALTH GROUP AND WE WERE

HAVING A CONVERSATION WHERE

THERE IS AN UPTICK IN INFECTIONS

FIVE OR SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE

FIRST SHOT SO YOU ARE NOT

PROTECTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE

FIRST SHOT.

SO DON'T GO OUT AND CELEBRATE

YET.

THAT FIRST SHOT IN SOME CASES,

THE MODERNA AND PFIZER IS

FOLLOWED BY A SECOND SHOT.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO WEEKS

AFTER THAT SECOND SHOT.

J&J, TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST

SHOT WHERE WE START TO SEE THE

PROTECTION THAT WE TALK ABOUT?

>> THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

YOU'VE GOT TO WAIT AND DESPITE

HOW EXCITED YOU ARE, YOU JUST

GOT THAT VACCINE AND YOU'RE NOT

PROTECTED YET, BUT HOW PROTECTED

ARE YOU FROM THOSE TWO DIFFERENT

ISSUES?

HOW LIKELY ARE YOU AFTER THE

VACCINE TO GET A LEVEL OF

INFECTION THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE

APPARENT TO YOU, BUT MIGHT ALLOW

YOU TO TRANSMIT TO OTHERS?

AND WE'RE SEEING MORE ASK MORE

DATA SAYING THAT THAT IS

SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED.

IT IS NOT ZERO AND WE SAW PRETTY

IMPRESSIVE RESULTS WHERE WE WERE

100% NOT EVEN GETTING INFECTED

AND MAYBE THERE'S AN 80% OR 90%

REDUCTION IN THE CHANCE OF

GETTING INFECTED AT ALL.

NOT ALL THESE INFECTIONS ARE YOU

AWARE OF, BUT IF THAT VIRUS IS

THERE, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT

YOU CAN SPREAD TO OTHERS AND IT

IS DECREASED AND WE THINK THE

LEVEL OF VIRUS SHOULD YOU GET

EXPOSE SIDE LEVEL, AS WELL SO WE

THINK THAT THE VACCINES HAVE A

BIG IMPACT ON INTERRUPTING

TRANSMISSION AND INTERRUPTING

YOUR ABILITY TO SPREAD IT, BUT

IT'S NOT 100% SO THAT'S CRITICAL

TO KNOW.

THE SECOND IS ONCE YOU GET

VACCINATED PEOPLE TALK ABOUT

THIS BREAKTHROUGH.

CAN A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN

VACCINATED STILL ACTUALLY GET

INFECTED AND STILL ACTUALLY GET

QUITE SICK?

IN THE TRIALS WE WERE LOOKING AT

HEALTHIER INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE

NOT ON SPECIFIC MEDICATIONS AND

IN REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES IF YOU

GIVE THIS VACCINE TO A

GENTLEMAN, SAY, IN THEIR 90s WHO

IS ON A NUMBER OF MEDICATIONS

AND DOESN'T HAVE A FULLY INTACT

IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT INDIVIDUAL

MAY GET SOME DEGREE OF

PROTECTION, BUT THEY'RE NOT

GOING TO BE 100% PROTECTED AND

THAT'S WHY WE STILL TALK ABOUT

PEOPLE TAKING PRECAUTIONS.

WHEN YOU'RE LIVING IN A CASE

LIKE NASSAU COUNTY IN LONG

ISLAND WHERE THERE IS A 95

POSITIVITY RATE, JUST BECAUSE

YOU HAVE YOUR VACCINE DOESN'T

MEAN YOU GET TO TAKE YOUR MASK

OFF YET AND MAYBE IN JULY WHEN

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF VIRUS IN

THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'VE BEEN

VACCINATED AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS

HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND THEN WE

START CHANGING THE GUIDANCE, BUT

RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN A P

PANDEMIC.

WE STILL HAVE 50,000, 60,000

CASES PER DAY AND HIGH

POSITIVITY RATES AND WE STILL

HAVE HOSPITALS WITH A LOT OF

CAPACITY CHALLENGES.

SO NOT QUITE TIME TO TAKE OFF

THE MASKS AND HAVE THOSE BIG

MASKLESS INDOOR CELEBRATIONS.

>> HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THERE.

YOU MENTIONED ADOLESCENTS.

LET ME ASK WHERE WE ARE RIGHT

NOW IN TERMS OF VACCINES FOR

YOUNGER CHILDREN.

>> THIS IS, I THINK, HUGE.

WE HAVE A CHUNK OF OUR

POPULATION UNDER THE AGE OF 18,

UNDER THE AGE OF 16.

SO UNTIL WE CAN START OFFERING

THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET

VACCINATED TO THAT GROUP, WE

HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH POPULATION

THAT ANY SORT OF IDEA OF HERD

IMMUNITY IS DEAD IN ITS TRACKS.

WE JUST GOT REALLY EXCITING NEWS

FROM PFIZER THAT THEY COMPLETED

THEIR STUDY LOOKING AT 12, 13,

14, 15-YEAR-OLDS AND 100%

EFFICACY AND THIS WASN'T JUST IS

IMTOM ATTIC AND THEY WERE DOING

PCR TESTING AND NONE OF THE KIDS

WERE INFECTED WHERE IT WAS 28 IN

THE GROUP THAT DID NOT GET THE

VACCINE.

SO THEY'RE PUSHING FOR EXPANSION

DOWN TO 12 AND ALL THE PFIZER

AND MODERNA AND J&J, THEY'RE ALL

LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY THE

ABILITY TO GO DOWN TO SIX MONTHS

OF AGE.

I'LL SAY THE J&J, PLATFORM HAS

BEEN USED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS

IN AFRICA.

IT WAS PART OF HOW WE LEFT THE

LAST EBOLA OUTBREAK AND THAT WAS

USED IN PREGNANT WOMEN.

IT WAS USED IN NURSING MOTHERS

AND IN KIDS DOWN TO 4 MONTHS OF

AGE.

THERE'S NO SIGN TO SUGGEST

THERE'S ANY CONCERN, BUT WE'RE

ROLLING THIS OUT AND GETTING ALL

OF THE SAFETY DATA BECAUSE

PEOPLE WANT TON BEFORE THEY GIVE

THIS TO THEIR CHILD, WHAT'S THE

TRACK RECORD?

WHAT'S THE SCIENCE?

>> LET ME ASK YOU GO THE IDEA OF

A SEX TASK FORCE.

HOW OBSESSIVE DO YOU THINK THAT

ONE AND HOW EFFECTIVE WOULD IT

BE?

>> I WAS ON A CALL WITH THE

UNITED HEALTH GROUP HIGH-LEVEL

DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AND, AND

MY COMMENT IS I THINK WE'RE

PREMATURE HERE.

WE STARTED OFF WITH THE NUMBERS

AND A THIRD OF NEW YORKERS HAVE

HAD AT LEAST ONE SHOT WHICH IS

70%.

MOST NEW YORKERS HAVE NOT HAD AN

OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VACCINE YET

SO WE KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE

HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET

THE VACCINES ARE NOT THE SAME

DEMOGRAPHICS HARDEST HIT BY THIS

VIRUS AND THE FIRST STEP IS TO

MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO

THE VACCINE SO WE'RE NOT GIVING

PRIVILEGES ON TOP OF PEOPLE WO

HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GETTING

THE VACCINE EARLY, BUT THERE IS

A POINT WHEN WE WANT TO HAVE

FULL, IN-PERSON SPORTING VENUES.

WE WANT TO GO SEE MOVIES AND OUT

TO RESTAURANTS AND PEOPLE WILL

PREFER, IF THEY CAN GO TO VENUES

WHERE A VACCINATED PERSON NEXT

TO THEM IS LESS LIKELY TO GET

THEM INFECTED, PARTICULARLY

OLDER INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT

HAVE THE SAME, ROBUST IMMUNE

SYSTEM AS THE REST OF US.

I THINK THE WHOLE VACCINE

PASSPORT THING WILL PLAY OUT IN

SOME SHAPE OR FORM.

WE'VE USED VACCINATION PASSPORTS

IN MUCH OF THE WORLD WITH YELLOW

FEVER.

THIS IS NOT AN OLD IDEA.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SORT OF,

WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?

IF YOU'RE A COUNTRY THAT NO

LONGER HAS YELLOW FEVER, YOU

DON'T WANT PEOPLE COMING IN WHO

HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED.

IF WE CAN REACH A POINT WHERE

WE'VE HAD OUR COUNTRY WITH A LOW

LEVEL OR MAYBE WE CAN GET TO A

GREAT LOW LEVEL OF COVID WE'RE

NOT GOING TO WANT PEOPLE COMING

IN WHO ARE NOT TAKING ALL OF THE

STEPS TO KEEP IT AT THAT LEVEL

AND IT MAY EVEN GO DOWN TO A

STATE OR VENUE LEVEL.

SO THIS WILL BE CHALLENGING AND

THERE IS A LOT OF HEALTH EQUITY

AND ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING

THIS, BUT THERE IS A CERTAIN

INEVITABILITY TO DOING THIS.

>> LAST QUESTION.

WE HAVE BEEN BESIEGED BY THIS,

NOT JUST IN THE U.S., BUT AROUND

THE WORLD.

GIVEN WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW,

HOW OPTIMISTIC NOW, AND HOW

OPTIMISTIC SHOULD WE BE THAT WE

ARE GETTING CLOSE TO DEALING

WITH THIS SENSE OF SOME

NORMALCY.

>> I WILL SAY IT IS OKAY TO BE

OPTIMISTIC.

WE'RE STARTING WITH THE TOOLS

THAT WILL END THIS PANDEMIC HERE

IN THE U.S. AND ULTIMATELY

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

WE ARE AVERAGING OVER 3 MILLION

VACCINATIONS A DAY.

THIS IS HUGE.

THE VACCINE HAS A LOT OF TROUBLE

DOING MUCH IN THE PERSON THAT'S

BEEN VACCINATED.

AS THE PRODUCTION RAMPS UP AND

AS WE EXTEND INTO THE YOUNGER

AGES, I THINK WE CAN BE

OPTIMISTIC AND A LOT OF PEOPLE

ARE IN THE FOURTH WAVE AND A

BUMP, AND WE STILL HAVE TO BE

CAREFUL ABOUT THE CONCERNS AND

NO, THERE IS REASON TO BE

OPTIMISTIC.

>> THAT'S CERTAINLY GOOD TO

HEAR.

>> AS I SAID BEFORE WHEN I DID

THE INTRODUCTION HERE,

INTRODUCING YOU SAYING YOU WILL

BE ABLE TO ANSWER MANY OF THE

QUESTIONS THAT SO MANY OF US

HAVE AND YOU'VE DONE A MARVELOUS

JOB OF DOING THAT, THANK YOU.

IT IS UNCERTAIN AS UNCERTAINTY

CAN WEIGH HEAVY ON PEOPLE AND

HAVING ANSWERS, ONCE AGAIN, DR.

DANIEL GRIFFIN, INFECTIOUS

DISEASE EXPERT.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR

THOUGHTS AND UNDERSTAND AND IF

NOTHING ELSE IT HELPS ME FEEL

BETTER AFTER THE CONVERSATION,

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO

YOU DOWN THE ROAD.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

YOU TAKE CARE.

>> THANK YOU.

♪

♪

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY SUE AND EDGAR

WACHENHEIM III.

SILVIA A. AND SIMON ENDOWMENT TO

FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN

SOONY FUND.

BERNARD AND BERNICE SCHWARTZ.

BARBARA ZUCKERBERG AND THE

AMBROSE FOUNDATION AND BY JANET

PRINDEL SIDLER AND JODY ARNHOLD,

JUDY AND JOSH WESTIN.

DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SLOAN

FOUNDATION.

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