HHS Secretary Alex Azar to Americans: ‘Please Get the Vaccine’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT GUTHRIE Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is Alex Azar ░░░░░░░░ of health and human ░░░░░░░░ AZAR So good to ░░░░░░░░ with you Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ me GUTHRIE We re ░░░░░░░░ this roll out live ░░░░░░░░ air This is the ░░░░░░░░ day that Americans are ░░░░░░░░ to actually get shots ░░░░░░░░ the arm I know ░░░░░░░░ have a media event ░░░░░░░░ where patients will get ░░░░░░░░ shots How many people ░░░░░░░░ you expect to be ░░░░░░░░ this week with this ░░░░░░░░ batch AZAR We are ░░░░░░░░ out 2 9 doses ░░░░░░░░ vaccine That will be ░░░░░░░░ to our nation s ░░░░░░░░ and where we have ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine Hope to ░░░░░░░░ as much as humanly ░░░░░░░░ used this week GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ are roughly six manager ░░░░░░░░ doses It is a ░░░░░░░░ dose regimen so presumably ░░░░░░░░ million people from the ░░░░░░░░ batch will be able ░░░░░░░░ get vaccinated You said ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ 20 million people vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ which is in two ░░░░░░░░ a half weeks Are ░░░░░░░░ still sticking by that ░░░░░░░░ line AZAR Certainly hope ░░░░░░░░ We know we have ░░░░░░░░ vaccine available to get ░░░░░░░░ 20 million people by ░░░░░░░░ end of December and ░░░░░░░░ total of 50 million ░░░░░░░░ the end of January ░░░░░░░░ million people by the ░░░░░░░░ of the March But ░░░░░░░░ hope to have 100 ░░░░░░░░ shots in terms in ░░░░░░░░ between first and second ░░░░░░░░ Today is such a ░░░░░░░░ day as we hopefully ░░░░░░░░ the light at the ░░░░░░░░ of the tunnel of ░░░░░░░░ horrible pandemic and the ░░░░░░░░ of human suffering we ░░░░░░░░ seen I m excited ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ some front line health ░░░░░░░░ getting vaccinated today GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ there is that priority ░░░░░░░░ front line workers nursing ░░░░░░░░ residents the elderly A ░░░░░░░░ of people are watching ░░░░░░░░ thinking okay what about ░░░░░░░░ rest of us When ░░░░░░░░ it going to be ░░░░░░░░ the flu shot when ░░░░░░░░ can go into your ░░░░░░░░ and get the shot ░░░░░░░░ soon as you want ░░░░░░░░ How soon will that ░░░░░░░░ AZAR I think we ░░░░░░░░ be seeing that by ░░░░░░░░ February going into March ░░░░░░░░ again it is going ░░░░░░░░ be up to our ░░░░░░░░ s governors but with ░░░░░░░░ modern and Pfizer vaccine ░░░░░░░░ will have as many ░░░░░░░░ arms by the end ░░░░░░░░ February If we get ░░░░░░░░ in January we ll ░░░░░░░░ significant additional supplies Again ░░░░░░░░ February into March time ░░░░░░░░ I think you will ░░░░░░░░ seeing much more like ░░░░░░░░ flu vaccination campaign GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ general population AZAR Yeah ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE Wow Okay Let ░░░░░░░░ talk about vaccine skepticism ░░░░░░░░ just saw a poll ░░░░░░░░ came out this morning ░░░░░░░░ ABC News and if ░░░░░░░░ it says that 88 ░░░░░░░░ Americans were willing to ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine which is ░░░░░░░░ higher number than I ░░░░░░░░ seen before in polls ░░░░░░░░ it says 44 of ░░░░░░░░ wanted to wait Didn ░░░░░░░░ want to get it ░░░░░░░░ away Should people wait ░░░░░░░░ Well I would advise ░░░░░░░░ to do what their ░░░░░░░░ say in terms of ░░░░░░░░ Just as we are ░░░░░░░░ out these historic new ░░░░░░░░ by their nature we ░░░░░░░░ all be getting it ░░░░░░░░ If you could get ░░░░░░░░ should you get it ░░░░░░░░ away if you are ░░░░░░░░ line and your time ░░░░░░░░ up AZAR Oh I ░░░░░░░░ you will This is ░░░░░░░░ 94 effective vaccine It ░░░░░░░░ gone through every aspect ░░░░░░░░ FDA process with integrity ░░░░░░░░ transparent data No if ░░░░░░░░ are recommended to get ░░░░░░░░ and it s available ░░░░░░░░ you oh please do ░░░░░░░░ it protect yourself and ░░░░░░░░ those around you But ░░░░░░░░ get the vaccine GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ just mentioned integrity at ░░░░░░░░ FDA process I have ░░░░░░░░ ask you because you ░░░░░░░░ other officials are out ░░░░░░░░ this is safe It ░░░░░░░░ science that dictated this ░░░░░░░░ on Friday the president ░░░░░░░░ tweeting again and said ░░░░░░░░ other things get the ░░░░░░░░ vaccines out now Stop ░░░░░░░░ games and start saving ░░░░░░░░ Does that drive units ░░░░░░░░ sitting there saying no ░░░░░░░░ has nothing to do ░░░░░░░░ politics This is really ░░░░░░░░ science AZAR What I ░░░░░░░░ assure you and the ░░░░░░░░ people is we have ░░░░░░░░ every ball and strike ░░░░░░░░ to the process here ░░░░░░░░ evidence law The FDA ░░░░░░░░ they had already communicated ░░░░░░░░ Pfizer they would be ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine I made ░░░░░░░░ announcement we would be ░░░░░░░░ that Everything has gone ░░░░░░░░ to the normal FDA ░░░░░░░░ here Career scientists made ░░░░░░░░ call I will ensure ░░░░░░░░ integrity of that process ░░░░░░░░ the American people need ░░░░░░░░ know these vaccines these ░░░░░░░░ are safe and effective ░░░░░░░░ a regular standard transparent ░░░░░░░░ that we use GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ before we let you ░░░░░░░░ it is a happy ░░░░░░░░ in terms of vaccine ░░░░░░░░ hats are off to ░░░░░░░░ scientists who worked so ░░░░░░░░ to reach this historic ░░░░░░░░ but we re about ░░░░░░░░ cross another milestone 300 ░░░░░░░░ American deaths 90 capacity ░░░░░░░░ its icu beds How ░░░░░░░░ are these next few ░░░░░░░░ going to be AZAR ░░░░░░░░ m actually glad you ░░░░░░░░ it because while it ░░░░░░░░ a historic and happy ░░░░░░░░ in terms of the ░░░░░░░░ It is also a ░░░░░░░░ to action We are ░░░░░░░░ that bridging period Please ░░░░░░░░ your hands watch your ░░░░░░░░ wear your face coverings ░░░░░░░░ be careful of those ░░░░░░░░ gatherings where you let ░░░░░░░░ guard down because we ░░░░░░░░ these vaccines coming to ░░░░░░░░ I want you to ░░░░░░░░ there to get these ░░░░░░░░ I want everyone in ░░░░░░░░ family to be there ░░░░░░░░ please be careful over ░░░░░░░░ next several weeks Be ░░░░░░░░ careful GUTHRIE It is ░░░░░░░░ critical moment Mr Secretary ░░░░░░░░ you for your time ░░░░░░░░ morning.”
AZAR: “Thank you.”