Slavitt: I Think You’ll See ‘Very Much a 2019-Type of a Life’ in Areas with High Vaccination Rates

MASON White House senior ░░░░░░░░ for the Covid response ░░░░░░░░ Andy Slavitt joins us ░░░░░░░░ Good morning As we ░░░░░░░░ heard from Weijia we ░░░░░░░░ got 22 in our ░░░░░░░░ saying they will not ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine Another 18 ░░░░░░░░ maybe they won t ░░░░░░░░ do you address that ░░░░░░░░ Well good morning Thanks ░░░░░░░░ having me on Look ░░░░░░░░ have an important decision ░░░░░░░░ make and I think ░░░░░░░░ Americans do their homework ░░░░░░░░ re going to realize ░░░░░░░░ it s really smart ░░░░░░░░ them to do But ░░░░░░░░ really have to do ░░░░░░░░ homework themselves If they ░░░░░░░░ at the over 130 ░░░░░░░░ Americans that have been ░░░░░░░░ they look at how ░░░░░░░░ safer they are the ░░░░░░░░ that they can do ░░░░░░░░ in their lives they ░░░░░░░░ that to the incredibly ░░░░░░░░ if almost nonexistent risk ░░░░░░░░ taking a vaccine I ░░░░░░░░ that that s where ░░░░░░░░ ll end up All ░░░░░░░░ have to do is ░░░░░░░░ at what s happening ░░░░░░░░ in India even Michigan ░░░░░░░░ you re a younger ░░░░░░░░ and see what the ░░░░░░░░ is from Covid So ░░░░░░░░ think people will do ░░░░░░░░ homework I encourage people ░░░░░░░░ talk to their doctors ░░░░░░░░ to people you trust ░░░░░░░░ to your pharmacists Don ░░░░░░░░ listen to politicians Don ░░░░░░░░ listen to senators Don ░░░░░░░░ listen to me Talk ░░░░░░░░ the people in your ░░░░░░░░ who you trust and ░░░░░░░░ think most people end ░░░░░░░░ making that decision MASON ░░░░░░░░ you worried 51 of ░░░░░░░░ said they don t ░░░░░░░░ to get the vaccine ░░░░░░░░ you worried that this ░░░░░░░░ escalate as a political ░░░░░░░░ SLAVITT We re going ░░░░░░░░ try to prevent that ░░░░░░░░ don t think in ░░░░░░░░ terms We think that ░░░░░░░░ want to be informed ░░░░░░░░ want to be educated ░░░░░░░░ understand some people have ░░░░░░░░ We know that some ░░░░░░░░ are younger and they ░░░░░░░░ t feel as much ░░░░░░░░ a threat as people ░░░░░░░░ are older so they ░░░░░░░░ it to be more ░░░░░░░░ That s why we ░░░░░░░░ thousands of people in ░░░░░░░░ who we call the ░░░░░░░░ Corps who are basically ░░░░░░░░ to answer people s ░░░░░░░░ We talked to doctors ░░░░░░░░ scientists and and the ░░░░░░░░ advice that people get ░░░░░░░░ think it s going ░░░░░░░░ encourage them more than ░░░░░░░░ to take the vaccine ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ to be step by ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ fast as it has ░░░░░░░░ over the first 100 ░░░░░░░░ or so but I ░░░░░░░░ we ll get there ░░░░░░░░ So to what degree ░░░░░░░░ you think vaccine hesitancy ░░░░░░░░ delay a return to ░░░░░░░░ kind of normalcy SLAVITT ░░░░░░░░ know I think there ░░░░░░░░ a community by community ░░░░░░░░ there If we have ░░░░░░░░ in the country where ░░░░░░░░ have very high degrees ░░░░░░░░ vaccinations I think you ░░░░░░░░ going to see very ░░░░░░░░ a 2019 type of ░░░░░░░░ life But if we ░░░░░░░░ communities in the country ░░░░░░░░ maybe only half of ░░░░░░░░ people get vaccinated then ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ serious risk for these ░░░░░░░░ coming in and having ░░░░░░░░ what s happened in ░░░░░░░░ recently Thankfully they re ░░░░░░░░ beginning to recover from ░░░░░░░░ But the communities that ░░░░░░░░ t have high degrees ░░░░░░░░ vaccination are going to ░░░░░░░░ a little more jeopardy ░░░░░░░░ The Johnson Johnson vaccine ░░░░░░░░ now been deemed safe ░░░░░░░░ effective for the vast ░░░░░░░░ of people but it ░░░░░░░░ to have been tainted ░░░░░░░░ some people s minds ░░░░░░░░ it s kind of ░░░░░░░░ a second class vaccine ░░░░░░░░ you concerned that its ░░░░░░░░ has effectively been damaged ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ should look at it ░░░░░░░░ way I think the ░░░░░░░░ conclusion people should take ░░░░░░░░ is our drug safety ░░░░░░░░ is working great That ░░░░░░░░ that if there is ░░░░░░░░ the slightest concern or ░░░░░░░░ slightest issue we ll ░░░░░░░░ about it The FDA ░░░░░░░░ take action on it ░░░░░░░░ ll study it and ░░░░░░░░ ll come back and ░░░░░░░░ the right recommendations There ░░░░░░░░ no way the FDA ░░░░░░░░ recommend and that the ░░░░░░░░ would allow this drug ░░░░░░░░ be put in people ░░░░░░░░ arms if people weren ░░░░░░░░ very comfortable with it ░░░░░░░░ people just do their ░░░░░░░░ Some peopel will prefer ░░░░░░░░ single dose vaccine Johnson ░░░░░░░░ is an outstanding vaccine ░░░░░░░░ some people will prefer ░░░░░░░░ a single dose vaccine ░░░░░░░░ have Pfizer and Moderna ░░░░░░░░ we re really in ░░░░░░░░ fortunate position where we ░░░░░░░░ three highly effective vaccines ░░░░░░░░ people I think have ░░░░░░░░ options But no I ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ continue to want to ░░░░░░░░ the Johnson Johnson vaccine ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Dr Ashish Jah ░░░░░░░░ s with us in ░░░░░░░░ broadcast said he considers ░░░░░░░░ a highly effective first ░░░░░░░░ vaccine Andy Slavitt thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for being ░░░░░░░░ us.”