>> MAYBE HE WAS CHECKING EXPEDIA
DURING YOUR SPOT THERE.
>> OR GET SOME ICE CREAM IN
SEATTLE.
>> LET’S TURN TO DR. ASHISH JHA.
DR. JHA, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK,
SAVANNAH.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS DELTA
VARIANT.
WE HEARD DR. FAUCI AND EVEN THE
PRESIDENT SOUNDING THE ALARM
ABOUT IT.
WHAT IN PARTICULAR IS SO
CONCERNING?
>> YEAH.
SO IT IS BY FAR THE MOST
CONTAGIOUS VARIANT OF THIS VIRUS
THAT WE HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE PANDEMIC.
IT’S WHAT HAS CAUSED HUGE SPIKES
IN INDIA.
IT’S CAUSING SERIOUS INCREASE IN
CASES IN THE UK, DESPITE THE
FACT THAT THEY ARE VERY
VACCINATED SO IT IS A PROBLEM.
OUR VACCINES SEEM TO BE HOLDING
UP QUITE WELL, BUT THE
CONTAGIOUSNESS AND LETHALITY IS
WHAT’S CONCERNING MANY OF US.
>> WE DO HAVE A THRESHOLD OF
FOLKS VACCINATED HERE, BUT CAN A
VARIANT LIKE THAT REVERSE THAT
PROGRESS?
WHAT ARE THE STAKES HERE?
>> WELL, THE STAKES ARE THAT WE
STILL HAVE A LOT OF AMERICANS
WHO HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN
VACCINATED.
THEY ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO
THIS VIRUS.
SO THAT’S OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST
CONCERN.
I THINK THE DATA THAT’S EMERGING
SUGGESTS THAT IF YOU HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED, YOU’RE GOING TO BE
FINE.
THE VACCINES REALLY DO SEEM TO
HOLD UP AGAINST THE VIRUS PRETTY
WELL.
BUT MY BIG CONCERN IS THE LARGE
POCKETS OF AMERICA THAT REMAIN
UNVACCINATED, INCLUDING A GROUP
OF OLDER AMERICANS WHO STILL
HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE SHOT.
THEY’RE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
TO THIS VIRUS.
>> THAT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT
QUESTION.
I WONDER WHETHER YOU THINK WE
ARE ON TRACK TO HIT THE
PRESIDENT’S GOAL OF 70% OF
AMERICAN ADULTS WITH AT LEAST
ONE SHOT BY JULY 4th?
>> YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THOUGHT
THIS WAS THE PRESIDENT’S MOST
AMBITIOUS GOAL.
HE HAS SET THREE DIFFERENT GOALS
FOR VACCINES.
AT THIS MOMENT IT LOOKS PRETTY
CONCERNING.
I’M NOT SURE WE’LL HIT THAT
NUMBER BECAUSE VACCINATIONS HAVE
SLOWED DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN
SOUTHERN STATES WHERE THEY HAVE
REALLY COME TO A CRAWL SO WE
HAVE GOT TO REDOUBLE OUR
EFFORTS, REACH OUT TO
COMMUNITIES FEELING CONCERNED
ABOUT WHETHER THEY WANT TO GET
VACCINATED OR NOT, HELP OFFER
ASSURANCE.
MAYBE THE DELTA VARIANT GIVEN
ITS CON TABLOUSNESS WILL ALSO
MOTIVATE SOME PEOPLE TO GET THE
SHOT.
>> FINALLY, YOUR THOUGHTS ON
THIS NEXT PHASE OF TRIALS ON
KIDS, ON LITTLE ONES AS YOUNG AS
5?
>> YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE TRIALS
SO FAR DOWN TO 12 HAVE BEEN
REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
I EXPECT THAT SAME THING TO
HAPPEN IN THE YOUNGER CHILDREN.
I HAVE A 9-YEAR-OLD, SO I KNOW
HE’S EXCITED ABOUT GETTING
VACCINATED WHEN THE CLINICAL
DATA COME IN.
MAYBE LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL
WE’LL HAVE THAT DATA.
I EXPECT IT TO BE POSITIVE, BUT
LET’S SEE WHAT THE DATA SAYS.