Anthony Stephen Fauci, Andrew M. Slavitt, and Rochelle Paula Walensky

“ And Hispanic persons had lost the second largest life expectancy, dropping 1.9 years.
These findings, though not surprising, are sobering and representative of the continued need to take this pandemic, and actions to stop the spread of COVID-19, seriously.
Now more than ever, with continued spread of variants that stand to threaten the progress we are making, we must recommit to doing our part to protect one another: wear a well-fitting mask, social distant, avoid travel and crowds, practice good hand hygiene, and get vaccinated when the vaccine is available to you. ”

“ A lack of pharmacies and hospitals, providers, and transportation has emerged as a significant concern in the communities hardest hit by the virus. What’s the plan and the timeline for getting more vaccination sites for areas with inadequate health infrastructure? Have you — and has the government found that that’s a problem — an increasing problem when looking at vaccine distribution?And the second question I have is on life expectancy. I’m wondering how lasting this change in life expectancy is. ”

“ As we get back on track, we’re asking states, sites, and ventilate — and vaccinators to help us catch up and to get Americans vaccinated. We know many Americans are awaiting their second dose, and many more, their first dose. We’re asking vaccine administration sites to extend their hours even further and offer additional appointments, and to try to reschedule the vaccinations over the coming days and weeks as significantly more supply arrives. States and vaccination sites are going to want to be prepared for the additional volume. ”

“ To date, more than 41 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but we continue to hear that people might be reluctant to roll up their sleeve because they are worried about adverse effects. ”

“ The forum will bring together a broad range of governmental and non-governmental partners to share information and best practices on how to build trust and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines; how to use data to optimize vaccine implementation; and how to provide practical, real-world experience on how to increase vaccination capacity in communities, especially for those at increased risk of COVID-19 and for those who may face barriers to vaccination. ”

“ During the first month of vaccinations, approximately 1.6 million people enrolled in V-safe, CDC’s new phone-based COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring system. Among those enrolled, 71 percent reported pain where the shot was given, 34 percent reported fatigue, and 30 percent reported a headache. These are common with most vaccines, and they typically resolve within a day or two of vaccination.
It’s important to know that about half the people don’t feel very well after getting their second dose. ”

“ It is highly likely that sometime in the fall, we will have data that will give us the capability of saying the safety and comparable efficacy in children 12 to 17, 18 years old. Again, the final decisions we always leave to the FDA. I’m trying to give you a roadmap of what likely will happen. But then also, with the studies that I just mentioned, to getting the information to make the decision in elementary school children almost certainly will not be firmed down until the first quarter of 2022. ”

“ And that is going to be including an investment in our public health infrastructure and improving the health of the entire nation, and especially in improving the health of the ethnic and racial minorities that took the hardest hit. ”

“ Third, more than 2,000 vaccine sites are located in areas with power outages, so they’re currently unable to receive doses. General Perna’s guidance to the team was to ensure safety of personnel, preservation of the vaccines and supplies, and constant communication with the states. Because of 72-hour cold chain constraints, we don’t want to ship doses to those locations and have them sitting at a site where they might expire. So the vaccines are sitting safe and sound in our factories and hubs, ready to be shipped out as soon as the weather allows. ”

“ So there are a few scientific reasons why we feel, given the information we have right now, we will stick with the scientifically documented efficacy and optimal response of a prime, followed by a boost, with the mRNA.
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT: Dr. Fauci, just a couple of additional clarifications. You said something here which is important for, I think, the public to understand. If we do see more of the variant present in this country, do you feel better with people having two doses of these mRNA vaccine or one? DR. FAUCI: Oh, there’s no doubt, Andy. ”

“ Importantly, like the populations most heavily affected by this pandemic, the declines in life expectancy were again most pronounced in certain racial and ethnic minority groups. The largest declines in life expectancy occurred in non-Hispanic black persons, dropping 2.7 years — levels not seen since 2001. ”

“ The other issue that we need to take into consideration is if you do have a less than optimal — even though with numbers they look reasonably good — but not as good as the optimal response, what could happen theoretically is that because of the immunological pressure that you see on the virus, you might actually, theoretically, be inducing more variants. ”

“ The packaging plant for Moderna vaccines is just now coming online. Roads are being cleared for the workforce to leave their homes. They’re working today through Sunday to package the backlogged orders, and will put the vaccines and ancillary supplies on aircraft on Sunday night for Monday-through-Wednesday delivery. ”

“ If you look at the existing trials — those that have already gotten an EUA, and those that we anticipate and hope will get and EUA — when will we be able to say we can vaccinate children — children in the high school range and children in the elementary school range? ”

“ And then — and then assuring that we have all of the things that end up becoming barriers, which are the hours people are open, the ability to get there and back, and some of the other things that are getting in the way. ”

“ One is, we want the public not to be confused: The recommendation from the FDA is two doses, just as it always has been.Number two — and I think this is a, sort of, more macro point, and I invite either Dr. Fauci or Dr. Walensky to comment here — there are studies all the time. There are preprints all the time. There are — real-world evidence comes out all the time. And it will continue to happen.
The people at the FDA, led by Peter Marks, people like Dr. ”