CORONAVIRUS

REPORTER Thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for taking my question ░░░░░░░░ am wondering you you ░░░░░░░░ been very public about ░░░░░░░░ to roll out boosters ░░░░░░░░ you ve also said ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ pressure on the scientific ░░░░░░░░ How does being so ░░░░░░░░ about this not put ░░░░░░░░ on those agencies to ░░░░░░░░ the decision that you ░░░░░░░░ planning for them to ░░░░░░░░ ZIENTS Dr Murthy MURTHY ░░░░░░░░ Well Tamara thank you ░░░░░░░░ that question So let ░░░░░░░░ go back to to ░░░░░░░░ we made the announcement ░░░░░░░░ August that we did ░░░░░░░░ were two reasons transparency ░░░░░░░░ planning And when from ░░░░░░░░ transparency perspective many of ░░░░░░░░ including myself Dr Fauci ░░░░░░░░ Walensky Collins and other ░░░░░░░░ leaders in the administration ░░░░░░░░ said publicly that we ░░░░░░░░ following the data closely ░░░░░░░░ if we saw a ░░░░░░░░ that indicated to us ░░░░░░░░ protection was starting to ░░░░░░░░ and that additional shots ░░░░░░░░ be required that we ░░░░░░░░ be transparent and open ░░░░░░░░ the public about that ░░░░░░░░ was one of the ░░░░░░░░ we felt it was ░░░░░░░░ that we speak up ░░░░░░░░ we saw that signal ░░░░░░░░ the data The second ░░░░░░░░ is planning You know ░░░░░░░░ you want to roll ░░░░░░░░ booster shots to the ░░░░░░░░ you can t flip ░░░░░░░░ switch and make that ░░░░░░░░ overnight There is important ░░░░░░░░ that has to take ░░░░░░░░ with localities with state ░░░░░░░░ with community organizations and ░░░░░░░░ we laid out an ░░░░░░░░ plan for that purpose ░░░░░░░░ ll allow the time ░░░░░░░░ we ve now been ░░░░░░░░ over the last few ░░░░░░░░ to do that all ░░░░░░░░ coordination so that public ░░░░░░░░ be confident that if ░░░░░░░░ when boosters are required ░░░░░░░░ would be there for ░░░░░░░░ And finally let me ░░░░░░░░ this which is an ░░░░░░░░ announcement in August and ░░░░░░░░ in the time since ░░░░░░░░ we have always said ░░░░░░░░ this initial plan would ░░░░░░░░ contingent on the FDA ░░░░░░░░ the CDC s independent ░░░░░░░░ We will follow that ░░░░░░░░ and their recommendations We ░░░░░░░░ make sure our final ░░░░░░░░ reflects it So I ░░░░░░░░ what we were doing ░░░░░░░░ August and what we ░░░░░░░░ continue to do there ░░░░░░░░ really prioritizing transparency and ░░░░░░░░ And that s our ░░░░░░░░ goal here is to ░░░░░░░░ sure that the American ░░░░░░░░ are protected against the ░░░░░░░░ and that s what ░░░░░░░░ believe we are doing ░░░░░░░░ Yeah and add that ░░░░░░░░ in December when the ░░░░░░░░ were initially authorized for ░░░░░░░░ use There was not ░░░░░░░░ strong plan in place ░░░░░░░░ we saw that there ░░░░░░░░ a lag in terms ░░░░░░░░ getting shots in arms ░░░░░░░░ we want to make ░░░░░░░░ we re ready for ░░░░░░░░ decision the agencies make ░░░░░░░░ you.”