>> Renee: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO A SPECIAL PROGRAM TONIGHT, COVID UPDATE: A KET FORUM.

I'M RENEE SHAW.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

FOR NEARLY A YEAR WE'VE DEALT WITH THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC'S GRIP ON OUR SOCIETY THAT HAS CLAIMED THE LIVES OF OVER 4,000 KENTUCKIANS, SICKENED OR LOVED ONES AND IMPACTED OUR EDUCATION AND WORK SYSTEMS.

TONIGHT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE VACCINE ROLL-OUT, THE DEMAND IS GREATER THAN THE SUPPLY, AND THE HESITANCY FELTS BY SOME.

WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT VIRUS MUTATIONS AND KEY INFORMATION ABOUT TESTING AND MASK RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE BEGIN WITH AN INTERVIEW I DID THIS AFTERNOON WITH KENTUCKY PEBBLE HEALTH COMMISSIONER DR. STEVEN STACK.

>> SO WE LEARNED YESTERDAY GOVERNOR AGENDA BESHEAR WHEN HE GAVE HIS UPDATE THAT FOR THE FOURTH STATE WEEK WE HAVE HAD DECLINING COVID CASES IN THE STATE WHICH IS GOOD NEWS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, THIS FOURTH STRAIGHT WEEK IN DECLINE.

HOW VIRULENT IS COVID IN KENTUCKY?

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE CASES ARE DECLINING, BUT THE DEATH RATE STILL HAS THAT DOUBLE DIGIT AMOUNT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE RELENTING.

>> SO OUR DEATH RATE IS ABOUT.

1% ALL OF PERSONS THAT WE'VE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.

IT WENT UP TO 1.1% OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

BUT THAT APPEARS TO BE WHERE IT HAS SETTLED IN FOR NOW.

THE HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE COME DOWN QUITE A BIT, AND THAT'S A TREND THAT'S BEING SEEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, SO THEY'VE REPORTED THAT NATIONALLY AND WE'RE SEEING IT IN KENTUCKY AS WELL.

GLOBALLY CASES ARE COMING DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY, NOT JUST IN KENTUCKY BUT NATIONALLY AND WORLDWIDE, AND THAT'S A TREND WE'RE ALL VERY GRATEFUL FOR.

WE'RE ALSO KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT AS FULLY AS WE CAN.

THE THE DEATH RATE IS ALWAYS A LAGGING INDICATOR, AND SO REMEMBER COVID BECAME THE THIRD LEADING COUGHS KENTUCKY AND NATIONWIDE IT.

DIDN'T EXIST OVER A YEAR AGO.

IT'S THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH NATIONWIDE NOW.

AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY NEW ADDITIONAL DEATHS, IT TAKES TIME SOMETIMES TO PROCESS ALL OF THE DEATH CERTIFICATES, REVIEW THE RECORDS WHEN THAT'S NECESSARY AND PROCESS THAT, SO SOME OF IT IS A BACKLOG, SO SOME OF IT'S A REFLECTION OF WHAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT IT ALWAYS LAGS.

AND SO THE DEATHS WE'RE SEEING NOW ARE THE CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT HAPPENED ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS AGO.

>> SURE.

WHEN YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE DECLINING CASE NUMBERS, GIVE YOU SOME PAUSE BECAUSE THE QUESTION I HAD, WELL, DOES IT MEAN PEOPLE ARE TESTING LESS?

IS THAT A POSSIBILITY?

AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ACTUALLY FEAR?

>> SO IT IS A POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE ARE TESTING LESS BUT THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE HOSPITALIZATION DATA OR THE DEATH DATA, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

>> SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE STATISTICS, DIFFERENT STATISTICS HAVE DIFFERENTLY UTILITIES AND WEAKNESSES.

DEATH IS PRETTY CONCRETE.

SOMEBODY DIES AND THEY HAD COVID AND IT APPEARS TO BE THAT WAS THE, AS YOU THAT'S PRETTY CONCRETE.

HOSPITAL BEDS, PEOPLE WITH COVID IN THE HOSPITALS, THAT'S PRETTY CONCRETE.

WHETHER IT GOES TO TESTING AND POSITIVITY, YOU HAVE TO INTERPRET THOSE STATISTICS WITH A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO AS THE AMOUNT OF TESTING DECREASES, AND I HAS DECREASED A LITTLE BIT, NOT PROFOUNDLY BUT IT'S DECREASED, THE FACT THAT THE POSITIVITY RATE IS STILL FALLING IS REALLY REASSURING BECAUSE WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IS THE PEOPLE WHO STOPPED GETTING TESTED ARE ONES WHO MAY NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS OR MAY FEEL FINE.

SO THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY HAVE THE INFECTION OR GOT EXPOSED AND ARE WORRIED OR WHO ARE SICK, THEY'LL PROBABLY STILL GO GET TESTED, SO AS FEWER PEOPLE GET TESTED, YOU'D EXPECT THE POSITIVITY RATE TO GO UP, ALL THINGS STAYING THE SAME.

SO THE FACT THAT THE POSITIVITY VATE STEADILY GOING DOWN AND IT'S UNDERNEATH 8% NOW, FACT THAT IT'S STEADILY GOING DOWN AND WE'RE HAVING CITE SLIGHT DECREASE IN TESTING IS ALL VERY REASSURING THAT'S AI THAT'S A REAL DROP IN POSITIVITY.

SO I THINK THE NUMBER OF CASES IS ACTUALLY DECLINING.

>> OH LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE VARIANTS THAT WE HAVE HEARD AND READ A LOT ABOUT, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND SOUTH AFRICAN.

TELL US ABOUT THESE VARIOUS STRAINS AND VARIANTS THAT WE HAVE HEARD OF TO.

WHAT DO WE HAVE IN KENTUCKY?

AND DOES IT POSE A GREATER RISK OF HARM, DEATH, SERIOUS ILLNESS?

>> SO MUTATIONS -- MUTATIONS HAPPEN.

THAT HAPPENS WITH ADVISERS ALL THE TIME.

THE VAST, VAST NUMBER OF MUTATIONS ARE INCONSEQUENTIAL.

LITTLE BITS OF DNA OR RNA MAKES A CHANGE I DOESN'T LEAVE ANY CLINICAL IMPACT.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE CHANGES HELPS THE VIRUS TO BE BETTER TO SPREAD OR REACH NEW HYPES OF HOSTS, DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND SPECIES.

THAT'S PROBABLY HOW THIS LEPT FROM A NON-HUMAN SPECIES TO US.

AND ALSO TO GET MORE WEAPONIZED AND ACTUALLY MORE VIRULENT AND CAUSE MORE DEPTH.

MOST OF THE VARIANTS THAT ARE OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE NOW APPEAR TO SPREAD MORE EASILY BUT NOT CAUSE MORE HARM TO THE PERSON WHO GETS INFECTED.

THE STRAND, THE VARIATION THAT WAS FOUND IN SOUTH AFRICA, THOUGH, DOES APPEAR TO CAUSE MORE HARM AND HAVE A HIGHER DEATH RATE.

RIGHT NOW WE KNOW THAT THE BRITISH ONE, THE UNITED KINGDOM VARIANT, AS THEY CALL IT, IS IN KENTUCKY, WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE, AND WE ANNOUNCED TWO CASES THAT WE HAD FOUND.

THERE'S A FEW MORE, WHICH WE COULD WOULD EXPECT, THAT I JUST LEARNED OF TODAY.

WE HAVE NOT YET FOUND IS SOUTH AFRICAN VARIATION.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

>> IT'S INEVITABLE.

>> IT'S INEVITABLE, WHICH IS WHY PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO DO SOCIAL DISTANCING AND ALL THE OTHER MEASURES AND THE MASKING BECAUSE IF WE LET IT SPREAD TOO MUCH BEFORE WE VACCINATE ENOUGH PEOPLE, THEN YOU RUN THE RISK OF HAVING A PREDOMINANT STRAIN THAT'S MORE EFFECTIVE.

>> I DO WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.

WE KNOW THAT 55% OF THE MORE THAN 4,000 COVID-19 DEATHS IN THE STATE ARE ATTRIBUTED TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.

IT WAS REPORTED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO THAT LESS THAN HALF OF THE STAFF MEMBERS AT THESE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN IMMUNIZED AGAINST COVID-19.

SO YOU'VE GOT 45% OF LONG-TERM CARE STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN IMMUNIZED COMPARED TO 73% OF THE RESIDENTS.

WHY THE DISPARATE THERE?

IS THERE SOME FEAR ALONG LONG TERM CARE FACILITY STAFF BUT I MEANZATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE?

>> SO IT'S FASCINATING.

WE'RE SOCIAL BEINGS, RIGHT?

WE TALK.

WE HAVE FRIENDS.

WE TEND TO ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH AND DO SIMILAR THINGS.

SO CLEARLY IN THAT COMMUNITY THERE MUST BE DISCUSSION, CHATTER.

WE ALL USE SOCIAL MEDIA PUNCH FRIENDS YOU eMAIL WITH WHO DO THE SAME JOBS.

THERE MUST BE SOME CONCERN THERE THAT HASN'T YET BEEN FULLY DESCRIBED AND HASN'T BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED FOR THERE TO BE MORE HESITANCY BECAUSE WE DO FIND THAT IT VARIES FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY.

IT VARIES FROM JOB DESCRIPTION TO JOB DESCRIPTION.

IT VARIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE OUR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES IN LIFE.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT PART ACTUALLY FROM NOW AND FORWARD AS WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES PEOPLE CONCERNED.

ARE WE ABLE TO FIND THEM IN THEIR PLACE OF COMFORT WHERE THEY START AND TRY TO HELP THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THESE VACCINES, THEIR BENEFITS FAR, FAR OUTWEIGH ANY POTENTIAL RISK.

ON IN FACT, ON THORN PEELING FEELING POORLY FOR A DAY OR SO AFTER YOUR DOSE MOST OF THESE VACCINES HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED ANY SERIOUS RISK.

>> IS THERE GOING TO BE A DEMONSTRABLE CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES WHO CARE FOR THESE PATIENTS TO BE IMMUNIZED?

>> I EFFORTS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY BUT I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ESCALATE.

I THINK WHAT WE SEEDEMAND SO FAR OUTSTRIPS THE SUPPLY.

SO RIGHT NOW VACCINE GET SNAPPED UP AS FAST AS WE CAN PROVIDE IT.

WE'RE GOING TO ASK A SECOND FACE.

THIS IS THE ADOPTION CURVE.

THIS IS JUST LIKE TECHNOLOGY.

YOU'RE GOING TO ENTER A PHASE WHERE YOU HAVE MORE.

AND PEOPLE WHO STILL I WANT, AND NOW THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND SORT OF MEET, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TO GET A PHASE WHERE HOPES ARE GOING TO HOPEFULLY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THEY SEE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO GET OUT, HOW THEY'VE BEEN FREQUENTED FROM HARM AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY HELP THEM FEEL MORE CONFIDENT, TOO, ALONG WITH A WE CAN'T LEAVE THAT FOR THE LAST STAGE.

THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.

WE HAVE TO START NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A FAIR AND EQUAL CHANCE TO GET ACCESS TO THE VACCINE BASED ON THEIR RELATIVE RISK OF EXPOSURE AND HARM.

>> SO YOU'VE ALLUDED TO IT SEVERAL TIMES, DR. STACK, THAT THE BIG ISSUE IS SUPPLY, THAT THE DEMAND FAR OUTWEIGHS THE SUPPLY.

WHAT'S BEING DONE TO REMEDY THAT?

WE HAVE HEARD, OF COURSE, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS ANNOUNCED THERE WILL BE 1 MILLION DOSES DEPLOYED TO PHARMACIES IN A WEEK'S TIME.

IS THAT GOING TO BE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

WHERE WE WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPLY IN KENTUCKY'S ALLOCATION?

>> SO THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET.

THE FIRST THING IS THERE'S A TOTAL PRODUCTION THAT IS COMING OFF THE LINES FOR PFIZER AND MODERNA, AND EACH STATE GETS A POPULATION-BASED PRO RAUT PORTION, SO WE GET ABOUT 1.3 OR SO PERCENT OF WHAT COPS OFF, AND I THINK EVERY STATE FEELS THAT'S BEEN DONE FAIRLY AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE COMPLAINT ABOUT THAT.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHEN THEY CAME IN INCREASED WHAT WE WERE GETTING BY 16%, PRETTY MUCH THEIR FIRST WEEK, AND ANOTHER 5% THE LAST WEEK AND WHEN YOU DO THE COMPOUNDING IT'S ABOUT A 22% INCREASE OVER THREE WEEKS.

WE'RE PROBABLY SETTLED IN AT A RELATIVELY STABLE RATE NOW FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AT LEAST.

THEY HAVE ASSURED US THAT WE'LL NEVER GET LESS THE NEXT WEEK THAN WE DID THE WEEK.

THAT WAS VERY REASSURING AND THEY'VE GIVEN US A THREE-WEEK HORIZON SO WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE PLANNING.

ALL THAT HELPS TO STABILIZE OUR PLANNING.

THEY'RE ALSO PUTTING IN 11 MILLION DOSES A WEEK FOR THE FEDERAL PHARMACY PROGRAM, AND IN THIS STATE THEY PICKED WALGREENS BECAUSE IT HAS THE BIGGEST INSTALLED FOOTPRINT.

WOULDN'T BACK AND ADVOCATED TO ADD INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO ADD 47 INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES, AND THAT WAS THE ADVOCACY OF THE BESHEAR ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDED THE INDEPENDENTS BECAUSE THEY COVERED AREAS IN THE STATE THAT WALGREENS IS NOT.

>> AND THAT CAN BE PART OF WHY WEST VIRGINIA HAS HAD SUCH SUCCESS.

WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT HOW THEY SEEM TO BE KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND AND THE SUPPLY.

>> SO LET ME JUST SAY FOR WEST VIRGINIA I'M FOOTER THEM BECAUSE WEST VIRGINIA IS AT THE TOP OF THE PILE FRYER GOOD REASON NOW AND I'M HAPPY FOR OUR NEIGHBORS THAT THEY'VE DONE THAT SO WELL.

WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL HERE TOO.

THE DATA I HAVE TODAY WHICH IS THROUGH YESTERDAY SOS THEY'VE USED IN THE STATE-BASED PROGRAMS ABOUT 92 DR. 91 OR 92 PERCENT OF ALL THE E. EVACUEES WE HAVE ALREADY ADMINISTERED.

OUR GOAL.

WE'LL TRY TO OPTIMIZE THAT FURTHER.

SO I KNOW IT STARTED NOT AS THE QUICKLY AS SOME WOULD WANT AND, OF COURSE, WE ALL WANT IT YESTERDAY BUT WE'RE RAMPING UP AND WE'RE BUILDING A SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL THE NEW VACCINE.

>> I WITH AN TO GO BACK TO LAST WEEK WHEN THE REGIONAL CLINICS CAME ONLINE, KENTUCKY HORSE PARK WAS ONE OF THOSE, AND WE HAD A CREW WHO CAPTURED SOME OF THOSE MOMENTS WITH THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AND THE FIRST PATIENT THERE TO BE IMMUNIZED.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> WE ARE HERE INSIDE THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK'S ALL TECH NUN LEXINGTON WHERE KROGER HEALTH IS LAUNCHING THE FIRST REGION VACCINATION SITE IN THE STATE.

THE LAST FOUR WEEKS WE VACCINATED MORE PEOPLE THAN WE'VE RECEIVED DOSES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MEANING OUR ONLY LIMITATION AT THIS POINT IS SUPPLY, SUPPLY, AND SUPPLY.

KENTUCKIANS IN PHASE 1B ESH W. ESPECIALLY PEOPLE 70 OR OLDER, ARE CURRENTLY BEING FOCUSED ON AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINES.

AS WE RECEIVE MORE, 1C WILL BE OPENED UP, WHICH WILL INCLUDE ABOUT 1.3 MILLION ADDITIONAL KENTUCKIANS.

>> I GET THE HONOR TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE VERY FIRST GENTLEMAN WHO IS GOING TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION HERE AT THE HORSE PARK REGIONAL SITE.

MR. PAUL FRENCH IS A 74-YEAR-OLD VETERAN FROM LINCOLN COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

AND JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHER KENTUCKIANS HE HAS SOME UNDERLYING MEDICAL ISSUES HIMSELF.

HE IS ONE TREATMENT AWAY FROM FINISHING HIS CHEMO TREATMENT.

[ APPLAUSE ] SO MR. FRENCH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU'RE THE REASON THAT WE ALL ARE IN HERE TODAY WEAR MASKS AND THAT WE SHOULD BE WEARING MASKS ACROSS KENTUCKY AS THIS VACCINE ROLL-OUT CONTINUES.

[APPLAUSE] >> SO IN THESE SITES MANY OF THEM WILL BE WITH KROGER.

THEY ARE HIRING INDIVIDUALS, TOO, TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE WORKFORCE THAT IS NECESSARY.

THAT MEANS THEY'RE GOING OUT AND SPENDING THEIR OWN CORPORATE DOLLARS TO PROTECT KENTUCKIANS, AND WE ALL REALLY APPRECIATE THAT,INGS ALONG WITH I KNOW THEY HAVE A LOT OF STAFF FROM THEIR LITTLE CLINICS AND OTHERS.

IF OTHER AREAS WE HAVE HOSPITALS AND SOMETIMES LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE MAN AND WOMAN POWER AVAILABLE.

WHAT THEY'RE FINDING IS IT'S THE -- IT'S THE I.T.

AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SIDE THAT ENDS UP BEING THE MOST CHALLENGING.

CAN YOUR WEBSITE HANDLE 300,000 PEOPLE TRYING TO COME ON AT THE SAME TIME?

IF YOU HAVE A PHONE NUMBER, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THERE OR AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM THAT CAN HANDLE THE CALLS COMING IN?

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THE PRIMARY CHALLENGE.

WE CAN SET UP AN OPERATION AS YOU SEE HERE THAT'S REALLY EFFICIENT TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH, VACCINATED WITH MON FORTH FORTH 15 MINUTES THEY NEED TO AND OUT THE DOOR.

IT'S GETTING THE SUPPLY, GETTING IT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, SIGNING PEOPLE UP, GIVING THEM THE SECURITY THAT IT'S COMING.

THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.

BUT WE'RE GETTING BETTER.

>> SO DR. STACK, JUDE SAY WE'RE GETTING BETTER, RIGHT?

>> WE ARE.

>> AND THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, CAN YOU GIVE US A PROJECTED TIME, I I I DON'T MEAN A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME BUT SEASON, SOME TIME THIS YEAR WHERE YOU THINK WE REALLY WILL BE HEADING TOWARDS SOME TYPE OF NORMALCY?

>> I AM -- I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC, CAUTIOUSLY BUT VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT AS WE WERE THE SUMMER WE'RE GOING TO START TO FEEL THINGS ARE IMPROVING.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WARMER WEATHER.

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE OUTDOORS.

THE INFECTION RATES WILL HOPEFULLY STAY LOW.

MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED, PARTICULARLY THE VULNERABLE SO THE HOSPITALS ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE STRAINED.

I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THROUGH THE SUMMER AS WE VACCINATE MORE.

I THINK SUMMER WILL FEEL MORE LIKE THE SUMMERS WE USED TO KNOW.

PEOPLE SHOULD STILL BE WEARING MASKS AND BE CAUTIOUS BUT WE'RE GOING TO FEEL A LOT MORE NORMAL, I HOPE, AND I THINK WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE SCHOOL YEAR IN THE FALL, THERE WILL STILL BE SOME THINGS THAT ARE RELICS, MASK AND DISTANCING BUT I HOPE WE'RE GOING TO BE MUCH MORE LAN WE USED TO, AT LEAST A LOT OF OUR ACTIVITIES.

>> AND DO YOU FORESEE WEAR PLAQUES BEING PART OF OUR NATURAL WARDROBE FOR A LONG TIME?

>> I THINK THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE HOW SOCIETY BEHAVIORS.

REMEMBER IN THE FAR EAST THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME, SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE GOING FORWARD.

I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE MAY CHOOSE TO BE WEAR MASK.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE NORMALIZED FOR PEOPLE WHO FEEL NEED TO THE LENGTH.

AND THERE'S OTHERS WHO DON'T FEEL THEY NEED THE PROTECTION WHO WON'T BUT I THINK MASKS GOING TO BECOME A PART OF THE WESTERN CULTURE THAN THEY EVER WERE BEFORE THIS PANDEMIC.

>> DR. STACK, THANK YOU.

TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WE HAVE WITH US IN OUR LEXINGTON STUDIO DR. DAVID COURT, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE ESPECIALLYIST ADAPTS HEALTH LEXINGTON FROM OUR LOUISVILLE STUDIO, DR. JON KLEIN, VICE DEAN FOR RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE.

AND BY SKYPE WE WELCOME DR. VINCE VENDITTO WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY.

WE WELCOME YOUR QU GIVE US A CALL AT 1-800-494-760 SEND AN EMAIL TO FORUMS@KET.ORG AND REACH OUT TO ME ON TWITTER .

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

WE HAVE LOTS MORE TO HEAR FROM THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE HOUR.

I WANT TO GO TO YOU, DR. AFFIDAVIT DOUGHERTY.

YOU HEARD VERY STACK SOUND OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GETTING COVID-19 UNDER CONTROL AND CONTAINED, BUT WILL THIS ALWAYS BE WITH US?

ON A HEARD THE WORD ENDEMIC THE OTHER DAY, THAT THIS MAY JUST BE SOMETHING THAT WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BE ON ALERT FOR AND MAYBE EVEN VACCINATED FOR EVERY YEAR.

>> I THINK THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF THAT.

WE, AS VACCINES ROLL OUT EVEN MORE, WE MAY BE MORE PROTECTED OVER THE LONG TERM AND WE MAY HAVE TO DEVELOP NEW BOOSTERS AS THESE NEW VARIANTS COME OUT.

BUT LIKELY THIS WILL BE WITH US FOR YEARS, IF NOT FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME.

>> AND THE MUTATIONS, I MEAN, WE KNOW OF THE TWO THAT'S WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE SOUTH AFRICAN AND THE UNITED KINGDOM VARIANTS, BUT ARE THERE OTHERS THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT?

>> WELL, THERE IS A NEW VARIANT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN CALIFORNIA, I BELIEVE THERE'S AN OHIO VARIANT, BUT THERE'S VARIANTS, PROBABLY MORE VARIANTS THAT WE KNOW OF IN THE U.S.

GIVEN THE INFECTION RATE RECENTLY AND AROUND THE WORLD.

MOST OF THE VARIANTS, AS DR. STACK SAID, ARE PROBABLY OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE AND ARE MORE PREDOMINANT VARIANTS OUTCOMPETE THEM OR SOME OF THEM ARE MORE VIRULENT, BUT THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO TEST FOR, THESE VARIANTS, FOR A LONG TIME AND POTENTIALLY DEVELOP BOOSTERS AS FAR AS THE VACCINES GOES.

>> DR. KLEIN, DOES YOUR PROKETIVE ON HOW YOU VIEW HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE VACCINE ROLL-OUT AND THE STATE OF COVID IN KENTUCKY AND ACROSS THE NATION, WE SEE THE DECLINE IN CASES.

SHOULD THAT GIVE US OPTIMISM?

>> I THINK THE DECLINE IN CASES SHOULD GIVE US SOME OPTIMISM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN LOUISIANA WHERE HURRICANES WERE A COMMON THING, AND ONCE OR TWICE THE EYE OF THE STORM PASSED RIGHT OVER US, AND SO IT GOT QUIETER AND CALMER THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE IT'S OVER, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE ARE NOW.

AS THE NEW VARIANTS BEGIN TO TAKE HOLD, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE SURGE, IN MY OPINION, BUT IT'S A RACE BETWEEN GETTING AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND WAITING FOR THE VARIANTS TO BECOME THE DOMINANT STRAINS IN THE COUNTRY.

>> CAN WE TALK ABOUT ANTIBODIES FOR JUST A MOMENT.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19 AND HAVE RECOVERED, THEY MAY FEEL LIKE THAT THEY ARE IMMUNE, PERHAPS WITHOUT AN IMMUNIZATION.

CAN YOU GIVE US FACT AND FICTION ABOUT ANTIBODIES.

>> WELL, WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE PROTECTION AFTER WE'VE BEEN INFECTED.

FOR THAT MATTER, WE DON'T KNOW WITH CERTAINTY HOW LONG WE HAVE PROTECTION AFTER WE'RE IMMUNIZED.

WE'RE TRACKING THAT, BOTH IMMUNIZATION COMPANIES AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL AS OTHER SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING, WELL, HOW LONG DOES IMMUNITY LAST?

SO FAR IT'S ENCOURAGING, BUT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO STUDY GOING FORWARD.

I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS THAT I'VE READ CAME OUT LITERALLY THIS AFTERNOON, AND THAT WAS A STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON WHICH SHOWED THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD ALREADY HAD COVID WHO GOT THEIR FIRST IMMUNIZATION I DEVELOPED A REALLY STRONG ANTIBODY TRONS BUT SURPRISINGLY THEY ALSO DEVELOP ANTIBODIES IS ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT.

IT WAS A REAL SURPRISE, AND IF IT'S CONFIRM IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY ENCOURAGING THING.

AT THE VERY LEAST IF IT'S CONFIRMED, WHAT IT WILL TELL US IS THAT WE MISTAKE STRETCH THE SUPPLY OF VACCINES IN THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND TREAT MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT YET HAD THE DISEASE.

BUT IT'S AN EARLY REPORT, SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON, BUT IT'S SOMETHING SO STARTLING THAT I WAS REALLY, REALLY -- IT REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE.

>> DR. VENDITTO IS JOINING US BY SKYPE.

CAN YOU DO SOME MYTH BUSTING FOR US WHEN IT COMES TO VACCINES.

ONE OF THE COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS THAT YOU HEAR AND TRY TO SORT OUT ABOUT VACCINATIONS WHEN IT COMMENTS TO COVID.

>> YEAH, I THINK THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION AND SMITH IS THAT THE VACCINE WAS RUSHED AND IT'S TOO FAST TO COME ON THE MARKET AND IT'S NOT SAFE, AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S AT LEAST SAFE IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'VE STUDIED IT SO FAR, AND THE FDA REALLY LIKES TO SEE SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FOR THAT SAFETY PROFILE.

AFTER THE SECOND DOSE.

AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD AT THAT POINT.

SO EVERYTHING WAS APPROVED BY THE FDA, AT LEAST FOSTER EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.

>> SO -- AT LEAST FOR THE EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.

>> CAN YOU TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN -- AND THE EFFECTIVENESS, I MEAN, BETWEEN THE PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINATION AND WHAT WE THINK WILL BE COMING ONLINE SOON, THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON.

Y WOO KNOW THERE'S VARIOUS LEVELS OF EFFECTIVENESS IN THOSE.

SHOULD WE CAUTIOUS AND WAIT FOR THE ONE THAT HAS THE MOST PROTECTIONS OR OFFERS THE MOST PROTECTION BEFORE WE TAKE A SHOT?

>> SO WITH PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINES, THEY'RE EFFECTIVELY BOTH GIVING THE SAME SAFETY AND EFFICACY RIGHT NOW.

SO IF YOUR NAME GETS CALLED, I WOULD GET THE VACCINE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU.

FOR JOHNSON & JOHNSON, THE VACCINE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

I WOULD SAY IF THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU, AND IT'S APPROVED AT THE TIME, THEN I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO GET THAT ONE AS WELL.

THE HEALTH AGENCIES ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S OUT AND GETTING INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AND IS GOING TO PROVIDE THE PROTECTION THAT WE NEED.

>> AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE DEMAND HAS BEEN GREATER THAN THE SUPPLY, AND EARLIER TODAY I GOT A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY, SECRETARY JIM GRAY WHO IS RUNNING THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PROJECT FOR KENTUCKY, AND I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT WHERE WE STAND AND WHERE WE HOPE TO GO.

ROLL TAPE.

>> CONCERT GRAY, WELCOME.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT 8% OF KENTUCKY'S POPULATION HAS BEEN VACCINATED SO FAR.

WOULD THAT BE ABOUT THE RIGHT NUMBER?

>> WELL, ACTUALLY WE'RE EVEN DOING A LITTLE BIT LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT AS OF TODAY, RENEE.

WE'RE ALMOST UP TO 10%.

>> ALMOST UP TO 10%.

SO IS THIS ON PAR WHERE YOU THOUGHT THINGS WOULD BE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT?

>> I KNOW IT PROBABLY SOUNDS LIKE I'M BEING PRETEMPERATURES, AND I'M NOT OR I'M BEING OVEREVER OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT JUDGING FROM WHERE WE WERE SEVEN WEEKS AGO WHEN THE VACCINE WAS RELEASED, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ONBOARD NOW THREE WEEKS KNIVES, BUT JUDGING FROM HAVING AN INCREDIBLY HIGH-PERFORMING TEAM LED BY DR. STACK AND LED ULTIMATELY BY THE GOVERNOR, KENTUCKY IS AHEAD OF THE CAR, AND SO IT'S REALLY NOT A SURPRISE TO ME TO SEE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

AND THAT 10% IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN A NUMBER OF OUR NEIGHBORING STATES.

>> I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU.

I KNOW THERE I WAS NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE THAT SAID THAT KENTUCKY WAS DOING BETTER, AND I'M CURIOUS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE ARTICLE, IF YOU WANT TO BOAST ABOUT HOW KENTUCKY IS PERHAPS EVEN OUTPACING OUR NEIGHBORING STATES.

>> WELL, AND THE THE TIMES STORY WAS ABOUT BROADBENT ARENA IN LOUISVILLE AND THE THROUGH-PUT, VACS VACCINES AND GAMECOCKSY GETTING VACCINATED PER DAY THERE, AND WE'RE SEEING A TIM SIMILAR DINE LICK AT THE UNIVERSITY HAVE KENTUCKY, AND THE FIRST WEEK AT THE HORSE PARK AS WELL, SO THESE ARE OUR LARGE KERR WHAT'S CALLED THE HIGHER VOLUME VACCINATION SITES.

AND AT THOSE SITES THE WHOLE NOTION IS TO DEVELOP THIS THROUGH-PUT.

AND THE GOVERNOR ACTUALLY PUT FOUR CRITERIA TOGETHER WHEN HE ASKED FOR US TO EXAMINE SITES AROUND THE STATE FOR THE HIGH VOLUME VAC NATION CENTERS, AND THOSE FOUR CRITERIA WERE, FIRST, POPULATION DENSITY, AND THEN EQUITY, AND THEN THE THROUGH-PUT, THE ABILITY TO GET VACCINES IN ARMS.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

>> AND THEN LAST, DRIVE TIMES.

NO ONE SHOULD BE -- NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO DRIVE MORE THAN ONE COUNTY AWAY TO GET A VACCINE.

>> BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE IT ENDS, RIGHT?

THE HOPE IS THAT EVENTUALLY, AS ONE WHO WAS A FORMER MAYOR.

>> YES, YES.

>> YOU KNOW HOW IT IS BEING A MAYOR OR A COUNTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE OR A CITY OFFICIAL, YOU WANT TO HAVE THOSE SITES IN YOUR BACKYARD, IN YOUR TOWN.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> IN YOUR CITY, RIGHT?

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BEFORE THAT'S POSSIBLE?

>> WELL, THERE ARE ALMOST 1500 ELIGIBLE VACCINATION SITES IN THE STATE.

ELIGIBLE PROVIDERS IN THE STATE.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE EQUIPPED AND ABLE TO PUT VACCINES IN ARMS.

NOW, IF WE WERE TO DISTRIBUTE THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE GETTING TODAY, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY 60,000, 63,000, THAT WOULD ONLY -- IF WE WERE TO DISTRIBUTE IT EQUALLY ACROSS 1500, THAT WOULD BE MAYBE 45 PER SITE, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SHIP THE MINIMUM MODERNA IS 100 AND PFIZER IS 1,000 OR 975.

SO HOW LONG BEFORE WE GET THERE?

MY EXPECTATION IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE -- IF WE GET MORE VACCINE, THE GOVERNOR SAID THIS, I'VE SAID IT, THREE WORDS, SUPPLY, SUPPLY, SUPPLY.

I'M SURE DR. STACK, YOU'VE HEARD HIM SAY THAT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> SUPPLY, SUPPLY, SUPPLY.

TODAY CLEARLY THE DEMAND IS GREATER THAN THE SUPPLY.

BUT IT MAY NOT BE TOO FAR AWAY, MONTHS, FEWER MONTHS, THAT THE SUPPLY WILL BE ACTUALLY GREATER THAN THE DEMAND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE GOT, IS TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE VACCINATION.

>> SO TWO THINGS I WANT TO HIT ON THERE.

ONE IS ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY.

BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, I DO WANT TO ASK, I THINK YOU ALLUDED TO THIS ON A CALL I RECENTLY HEARD YOU ON AT THE LEXINGTON FORUM ABOUT LINE JUMPING, THAT PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO IT'S NIGHT QUITE THEIR TURN.

THEY'RE NOT IN 1A OR 1B.

BUT THEY HAVE MANAGED SOMEHOW TO GET A VACCINATION.

IS THAT HAPPENING AND WHY AND HOW?

>> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TWO OFTEN COMPETING GOALS HERE, RENEE.

ONE IS TO FOLLOW THE TIERS AND TO ENCOURAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW IN 1B THOSE OVER 70.

AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T WASTE ANY VACCINES.

SO I WOULD SAY NOT UNEXPECTEDLY SOME FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO REALLY FOLLOW AN HONOR SYSTEM PRECISELY, AND THEY MAY BE GETTING A VACCINE, AND THEY MAY NOT BE IN ONE 1A OR 1B.

BUT OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NONE ARE WASTE.

>> AND IF PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP FOR THEIR APPOINTMENTS, YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ONCE YOU HOSPITAL THAT VIALL.

>> EXACTLY.

>> YOU'VE GOT TO DISPOSE OF IT AND HOPEFULLY IT'S IN SOMEONE'S ARM.

I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT RURAL AREAS.

AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESE KIND OF SUPER CENTERS, HIGH VOLUME VACCINATION SITES THAT YOU'VE ALLUDE TO, I'M THINKING ABOUT IN RURAL AREAS WHERE THE GEOGRAPHY MAYBE A LITTLE TOUGHER TO WIELD, AND SO HOW ARE THOSE SITES, HOW ARE THOSE AREAS OF OUR STATE, HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THOSE KIND OF GEOGRAPHY GAPS THAT WE MAY BE FACING?

>> WELL, FORTUNATELY, THIS WEEK IN THE ALLOCATION, THE ALLOCATIONS FOR THIS WEEK, ALMOST A THIRD OF THE ALLOCATIONS OF THE VACCINES WERE ALLOCATED TO LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.

AND EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE -- AND REMEMBER KENTUCKY HAS MORE STATES THAN IS THAT IT IN THE -- MORE COUNTIES IN THE -- KENTUCKY HAS MORE COUNTIES THAN ANY STATE IN THE UNION EXCEPT ONE.

BUT AT LEAST 100 VACCINES ARE ALLOCATED THIS WEEK TO EVERY COUNTY.

NOW, THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY -- ACTUALLY THERE ARE 61 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

SO EACH OF THOSE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WILL BE MAKING ALLOCATIONS THEMSELVES TO THE COUNTIES THAT THEY ARE REPRESENTING.

BUT THE ALLOCATION ITSELF THAT REPRESENTS NO COUNTY GETS LESS THAN 100 VACCINES.

>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS IN HELPING ALL OF US SEE A BETTER FUTURE.

>> THANKS, RENEE.

>> SO WE HAD THIS QUESTION FROM MR. RICK JEFFRIES WHO ASKED WHEN WE CAN EXPECT THE NEXT PHASE OF 1C TO START.

YOU HEARD SECRETARY GRAY SAY IN THREE TO FOUR MONTHS HE HOPED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF KENTUCKIANS WHO WANTED TO BE COULD BE.

HE SAYS, MR. JEFFRIES, HE SAYS HE'S 67 WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, BUT BECAUSE HE'S NOT 70, STILL HAS TO WAIT.

HE SAYS, "I SEE OUR NEIGHBORS IN INDIANA ARE VACCINATED 65 AND OLDER, AS IS THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHICH HAS MANY MORE SENIORS.

IF WE WEREN'T SCARED TO TRAVEL, WE WOULD HAVE TRAVELED TO FLORIDA WHERE WE WOULD HAVE OUR WINTER HOME."

DR. VENDITTO, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE RIGHT ANOTHER CUSP BUT THEIR NOT QUITE 7th AND THIS GENTLEMAN HAS UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.

HOW MUCH LONGER IS HE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT?

>> I HOPE IT'S NOT TOO MUCH LONGER.

I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO WAIT YOUR TURN IN LINE AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE ROLLING OUT SOON, SO AS DR. STACK SAID, HOPEFULLY THE NEXT THREE MONTHS OR SO EVERYBODY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

AND SO, YEAH, I THINK CONTINUING TO DO THE MASK WEARING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING HOME IS IMPORTANT, AND HOPEFULLY YOUR NAME IS CALLED SOON.

>> THIS QUESTION FROM MR. BILL JOHNSON FROM LEXINGTON.

I'LL GO TO YOU, DR. DOUGHERTY FOR THIS.

HE SAYS, "MY DAUGHTER HAD COVID AND RECOVERED.

SOON AFTER SHE RECEIVED THE FIRST DOSE OF THE VACCINE WHICH CAUSED SIMILAR SYMPTOMS THAT SHE HAD WHEN SHE HAD COVID-19.

IT WAS ONE DOSE OF PFIZER EFFECTIVE ENOUGH IS FIGHT THE VIRUS?

IS ONE DOSE OF PFIZER EFFECTIVE ENOUGH TO FIGHT THE VIRUS?

"I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WONDERING ABOUT THIS.

>> FOR HER SHE ALREADY HAD COVID-19, AND AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S THAT STUDY, SMALL STUDY OUT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SO WE DON'T FOR SURE KNOW TANS TO THAT, FOR SOMEBODY WHOSE ALREADY BEEN INFECTED, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVES ONE DOSE.

IN PFIZER'S DATA THAT THEY RELEASED, IT LOOKS ABOUT 52% EFFECTIVE AFTER ONE DOSE.

SO THAT WASN'T REALLY WHAT WAS STUDIED IN THE TRIAL FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT HAD COVID INFECTION OR HAVE HAD COVID INFECTION, SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT YET.

>> DR. KLEIN, WE KNOW THAT THE FLU SHOTS THAT WE GET ANNUALLY SOMETIMES HAVE A 60% EFFECTIVENESS RATING, AND MANY OF US JUST KIND OF GET THAT WITHOUT EVEN REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, SO WHEN YOU HEAR SOME OF THESE OTHER NUMBERS ABOUT MAYBE THE J&J IS 68% EFFECTIVE OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT BALLPARK, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT EFFECTIVE, AND WHAT YOU REALLY ARE DOINK IS IT'S PREVENT CAN SERIOUS ILLNESS AND DEATH, RIGHT?

THE QUESTION REALLY IS EVEN WITH A VACCINE CAN YOU STILL GET COVID, AND YOU STILL TRANSMIT IT.

>> THOSE ARE A COUPLE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE IS THAT WHEN THE VACCINE COMPANIES RELEASE THE RESULTS AND SAY, WELL, THIS WAS 94.5% EFFECTIVE OR IT WAS 95% EFFECTIVE, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THAT IT WAS 95% EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING ANY SIGNS OF INFECTION.

EVEN AFTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW VARIANTS, ALL OF THESE VACCINES ARE STILL EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING SERIOUS INFECTIONS, THOSE THAT SEND YOU TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THOSE THAT PUT YOU IN THE HOSPITAL.

SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINE, LET'S NOT LOOK AT JUST THE TOP LINE RESULTS, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST HURLED TO GET OVER, WHICH IS TO SAY -- HURLED TO GET OVER WHICH IS TO SAY I WON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS AT ALL BECAUSE THAT MAY NOT BE IN OUR FUTURE.

I THINK, JUST TO GET BACK TO THE PREVIOUS YES, MY DAUGHTER IS IN THE SAME SITUATION AS THE CALLER, THE PREVIOUS CALLER.

SHE HAD COVID.

SHE'S NOW HAD ONE INJECTION.

IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE CD IS RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE TAKE THE FULL COURSE OF VACCINATIONS AFTER THEY'VE HAD THE INFECTION.

THAT MAY CHANGE.

THE SCIENCE IS STILL EVOLVING HERE.

BUT I THINK IT'S STILL IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVE HAD THE INFECTION AND YOUR SYMPTOMS HAVE DISAPPEARED, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET VACCINATED TO FOLLOW YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR'S ADVICE AND GO FOR THE VACCINATION WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE FOR YOU.

>> AND CAN YOU STILL SPREAD COVID IF YOU HAVE BEEN VACCINATE AND YOU STILL CONTRACT IT EVEN?

>> IT'S ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE STUDYING THESE PROBLEMS.

THE ONLY INFORMATION WE HAVE IS VERY PRELIMINARY, AND IT'S FROM THE COUNTRY OF ISRAEL WHERE THEY'RE DOING A REAL LIFE EXPERIMENT WHERE THEY'VE NOW VACCINATED IN EXCESS OF 30% OF THE COUNTRY, AND MORE THAN, I BELIEVE, 70% OF EVERYONE ABOVE THE AGE OF 65.

THEY ARE OBSERVING A DECREASE IN TRANSMISSION.

THEY DON'T KNOW YET ENTIRELY WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE GONE INTO ANOTHER VERY STRICT LOCKDOWN OR WHETHER IT'S THE VACCINES.

MY MONEY WOULD BE THAT IT'S ON THE VACCINES.

>> THIS QUESTION, AND I'LL ASK THIS TO DR. VENDITTO WEEK THIS QUESTION COMES TO US FROM EVA HISEL FROM RICHMOND, KENTUCKY ASKS "HOW LONG AFTER THE SECOND SHOT WOULD IMMUNITY TAKE EFFECT?

SHE SAYS, I WAS TOLD NOT TO TAKE PAIN MEDS BEFORE OR AFTER RECEIVING THE VACCINE.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU WAIT?"

CAN YOU ANSWER BOTH OF THOSE FOR US, DOCTOR?

>> YES.

SO AFTER THE BOOSTER SHOT, YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY GENERATED THOSE MEMORY CELLS TO THE FIRST VACCINATION, THE IMMUNE RESPONSE SHOULD RAMP UP VERY RAPIDLY AFTER THE SECOND IMMUNIZATION, SO YOU SHOULD REALLY HAVE PEAK ANTIBODIES WITHIN A WEEK AFTER YOUR SECOND DOSE.

FOR THE QUESTION ABOUT PAIN MEDICINE, I THINK THAT THE -- YOU KNOW, PAIN MEDICINE CAN CERTAINLY AFFECT YOUR IMMUNE RESPONSE, BUT I KNOW THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND DOSE CAN BE PRETTY UNCOMFORTABLE, SO WHILE YOU WE DON'T TO TAKE EXCESSIVE MEDICATIONS, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO TAKE IBUPROFEN AFTER THE SECOND DOSE IF YOU'RE HAVING SOME REALLY SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS.

AND IF GET WHAT THEY WANT SERIOUS ENOUGH, THEN YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR.

>> AND DR. DOUGHERTY, FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE JUST RECENTLY GOTTEN THEIR FLU SHOT AND YET HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A COVID VACCINATION, HOW FAR SHOULD THEY WAIT OR WHAT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED?

>> YES.

SO FOR NON-LIVE VACCINE LIKE INFLUENZA VACCINE, AT LEAST TWO WEEKS FOR.

FOR A LIVE VACCINE WHICH THERE AREN'T THAT MANY OF THOSE THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING THESE DAYS, BUT FOR LIVE VACCINE PROBABLY A MONTH ON EITHER SIDE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE JOHNSON & JOHNS TRIAL.

>> SO FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE SECOND DOSE, WE HAVE HEARD, AND I THINK THIS APPLIES TO BOTH PFIZER AND MODERNA, THAT THAT CAN BE -- THAT CAN HAVE QUITE A PUNCH AND THAT YOU MAY FEEL A LITTLE ILL. WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE EXPECT, A RANGE OF THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT AND LOOK OUT FOR?

>> I THINK IT'S PRETTY NORMAL TO HAVE SOME FEVER, PROBABLY SOME MUSCLE PAIN AT THE DELTOID, THE SITE OF THE INJECTION, MAYBE SOME FATIGUE, SOMETIMES SOME CHILLS, BUT MOST OF THE SYMPTOMS ARE GOING TO RESOLVE AFTER 12 TO 24 HOURS, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, DEVELOP MORE SYMPTOMS THAN OTHER PEOPLE, AND I THINK WITH REGARDS TO THE IBUPROFEN, IT'S IMPORTANT, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING NOT REALLY TAKING THAT PROPHYLACTICCLY BEFORE THE SECOND SHOT, BUT TAKING IT POTENTIALLY PROBABLY TYLENOL OVER IBUPROFEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ANTIINPROGRAM THE TORRIE IF YOU DEVELOP SYMPTOMS SUBSEQUENTLY.

>> SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE VACCINE DEPLOYMENT AND WE TALKED ABOUT GEOGRAPHY AND WHERE SOME PLACES MAY BE HAVING A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGE, AND I CAUGHT UP WITH MR. ROY MILLRY WHO WAS AT THE APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTH CARE AND HE TALKED TO US ABOUT THIS JUST LAST WEEK, AND HERE'S OUR INTERVIEW.

>> MIMES ROY, I'M THE CEO OF AMBULATORY SERVICES FOR THE SYSTEM WHICH COVERS 11 KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES AND TWO COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

WE HAVE A POPULATION IN EASTERN KENTUCKY THAT WE'RE APPROXIMATELY 250,000 PEOPLE THAT'S GOING TO NEED THIS VACCINE.

CLEARLY, WE'RE ALL AWARE OF HOW DEVASTATING THE VIRUS CAN BE TO FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND ALL OF US HAVE FELT THAT, SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE WORKING TO GET AS MANY VACCINES AS POSSIBLE INTO OUR COMMUNITIES SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE ADMINISTERED.

>> SO ARE PEOPLE ANXIOUS AND SIGNING UP AND REACHING OUT ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BE VACCINATED?

OR ARE YOU HAVING TO BE VERY INTENTION ALLEY AND DELIBERATE IN REACHING COMMUNITIES THAT MAY BE A LITTLE HESITANT ABOUT IT, MAYBE UNEASY BECAUSE THESE ARE NEW DEVELOPMENTS?

WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?

>> YES.

SO FORTUNATELY ENOUGH, WE'VE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN TAKING THE VACCINE, WHICH IS A GREAT, GREAT THING, AND SOMETHING WE AS AN ORGANIZATION ENCOURAGE.

THE PROBLEM IS CLEARLY RESOURCES AND GETTING THE VACCINES TO BE ABLE TO PUT IN THE ARMS OF PATIENTS.

AT THIS POINT THERE IS A SIGN IN OPPORTUNITY THAT PATIENT CAN BE PLACED ON A WAIT LIST FOR AN ARH FACILITY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

IT'S AN ARHCOVID-19.COM.

THEY CAN GO OUT THERE, PROVIDE SOME DEMOGRAPHIC PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT IS PROTECTED AND SO FORTH WHO WILL PLACE THEM ON A WAIT LIST WHICH EACH COMMUNITY WILL THEN CONTACT THEM ONCE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.

AND CLEARLY WE'RE FOLLOWING THE PRIORITY LIST SET FORTH BY THE STATE AND CDC AND SO FORTH, ESSENTIAL WORKERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND THOSE 70 AND OVER AT THIS TIME.

>> CAN YOU TELL US HOW MANY COASTS OF THE VACCINE YOU'RE ADMINISTERING DAILY THAT ARH IS ADMINISTERING ON A DAILY BASIS, AN AVERAGE?

>> YEAH, SO I CAN TELL YOU WEEKLY AVERAGE IS WE'RE DOING OVER 1700 A WEEK, AND THAT'S REALLY THE ALLOTMENT WE'RE GETTING EVERY WEEK, SO AS SOON AS WE GET THEM, AS QUICKLY AS WE GET THEM, WE WORK OUR WAIT LIST AND WE GET PATIENTS SCHEDULED FOR THESE ITEMS.

AND GET THEM IN FOR A VISIT AND AND ARE FOLKS COMPLIANT WITH KEEPING THEIR APPOINTMENTS?

DO YOU DEAL WITH SEVERAL NO-SHOWS ANY KNOW THAT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE TO ANY PARTICULAR REGION, BUT HAS THAT BEEN AN ISSUE FOR YOU?

>> NO, PEOPLE ARE BEING VERY COMPLIANT COMPLIANT WITH THIS.

WE HAVE HAD SOME, OF COURSE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CALL FOR THAT.

WEATHER HAS PLAYED AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, WITH PEOPLE GETTING OUT TRAVELING HERE THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

WE HAD SOME SNOW HERE AND TRAVEL HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.

BUT OTHERWISE, WEI WE'VE BEEN ABLE -- WE HAVE NOT WASTED ANY VACCINES, WHICH IS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL.

WE'RE NO GOING WASTES THEM.

ONCE THEY'RE OPEN, THEY ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN LIFE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ADMINISTERED, SO IF WE DO HAVE A NO-SHOW, WE HAVE A BACKLOG OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE CALLING SAYING, HEY, CAN YOU COME GET YOUR VACCINE TODAY?

AND FORTUNATELY WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT WANT IT AND ARE WILLING COME PRETTY QUICKLY.

>> GOOD TO KNOW.

YOU MENTIONED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SIGN UP ON THE ARH COVID-19.COM WEBSITE.

BUT FOR THOSE WHERE BROADBAND ACCESS A ABOUT IT IS A BARRIER OR MAYBE OLDER POPULATIONS THAT AREN'T AS TECH SALVEY AND ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT, WHAT'S ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE?

AND HOW BIG OF A BARRIER ARE SOME OF THOSE INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES IN HELPING TO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED N. >> SURE.

IT'S RUHL KENTUCKY, RIGHT?

NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO INTERNET, iPHONES AND SERVICE IS SPOT NECESSITY PLACES DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU MAY RESIDE.

AN ALTERNATIVE IS WE DO HAVE AN ARH HOTLINE THAT THEY CAN CALL AS WELL.

I HIGHLY EMPHASIZE ONLINE IF YOU HAVE ACCESS ONLINE.

IT'S QUICKER, MORE CONVENIENT FOR YOU, AND IT TAKES US LESS RESOURCES OUR END TO MAN THOSE PHONES.

THAT NUMBER IS 855-ARH-CARE.

THAT'S 855-ARH-CARE.

WHEN YOU CALL, YOU WILL HAVE SOMEONE TAKE YOUR NAME, YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AND SOME OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION, AND YOU ALSO WILL BE PLACED ON A WAIT LIST IN WHICH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN WHICH YOU WANT TO GO TO GET YOUR VACCINE CAN THEN CONTACT YOU BASED ON THE PRIORITY LIST THAT YOU FALL.

>> WELL, THANK YOU, MR. ROY MILL WE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY, GIVING US THE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN YOUR REGION AND CONTINUED SUCCESS TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO WE DO HAVE QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS ABOUT WHO SHOULD NOT GET VACCINATED.

IF YOU ARE I MUN MENU OH COMPROMISED, DR. DOUGHERTY, ARE THERE FOLKS FOR WHICH THE AVAILABLE VACCINES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE RIGHT NOWSOME.

>> AS FAR AS THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED QUESTION, I WOULD SAY IF THERE'S SOME MEDICATION LIKE PREDNISONE THAT YOU'RE ACUTELY TAKING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE OFF OF IN A WEEK OR TWO, IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO BE ON PREDNISONE AROUND THE TIME THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO TAKE THE VACCINE FOR THE SIMILAR REASONS AS I TALKED ABOUT WITH IBUPROFEN BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE IMMUNE RESPONSE THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON CHEMOTHERAPY AND ARE GOING TO BE ON CHEMOTHERAPY FOR A LONG TIME, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW THE LEVEL OF RESPONSE IN THOSE FOLKS BECAUSE THEY WERE INTENTIONALLY NOT INCLUDED IN THE TRIALS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE, AND THAT'S PRETTY NORMAL FOR INITIAL VACCINE TRIALS, BUT THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPY FOR THE INDEFINITE FOUGHT, I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND GETTING THE VACCINE.

>> AND WHAT ABOUT EXPECTANT MOTHERS?

>> SO I WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING THE VACCINE FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS.

I DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS FROM THE OB STANDPOINT.

OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN THE TRIALS AND WE STILL NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT IT'S ALL A RISK BENEFIT SITUATION AND WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW PREGNANT WOMEN VERY SICK IN THE HOSPITAL, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BENEFIT OUTWEIGHS THE RISK IN THAT SITUATION.

>> DR. KLEIN, I WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, ABOUT POPULATIONS THAT MAYBE HAVE SOME CONCERN AND THEY'RE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THESE VACCINATIONS COULD BE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, HAS THERE BEEN AMPLE STUDY TO KNOW WHAT SIDE FEDEX OR LONG-TERM EFFECTS COULD ACTUALLY OCCUR DOWN THE ROAD?

>> SO THE CURRENT VACCINE STUDIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, ACTUALLY THE FDA REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME FOR SAFETY FOLLOW-UP, NOT JUST THE EFFECTIVENESS BUT THE I HAVE THE SAFETY FOLLOW-UP, AND IT'S SIMILAR IN THOSE TRIALS AS IT WAS IN THESE STUDIES AS IT HAS BEEN FOR ALMOST EVERY OTHER VACCINE THAT'S BEEN TESTED.

SO FAR WE DON'T REALLY SEE ANY MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES EXCEPT IN A VERY TINY NUMBER OF PATIENTS THAT RECEIVED THEM.

AS FAR AS THE LONG-TERM FEDEX, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION -- FEDEX, THERE'S MISINFORMATION THAT ROGER THE MODERNA AND PFIZER VACCINES WILL SOMEHOW CHANGE YOUR DNA.

THAT'S A FALLACY.

THAT'S NOT CORRECT.

THE RNA DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET MERE THE DNA IN YOUR CELLS.

AND SOMEBODY WHO HAS SUDDEN THE I HAD RNA FOR A LONG TIME, OUR PROBLEM IS THAT IT BREAKS DOWN VERY QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN'T EVEN STUDY IT.

SO ONCE IT'S IN YOUR BODY, IT DOES YOUR WORK, IT HELPS YOUR OWN CELLS MAKE THE SPIKE PROTEIN THAT MAKE YOU MAKE AN IMMUNE RESPONSE TO, AND IT'S GONE.

SO A LOT OF THE SORT OF MISINFORMATION IS FROM WELL-INTENTIONED PEOPLE, SOME OF IT'S FROM MALICIOUS PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET, AND SO FAR WE DON'T SEE ANY OF THESE THINGS AS BEING A LONG-TERM PROBLEM.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, LIKE DR. DOUGHERTY SAID, THIS IS A RISK/BENEFIT SORT OF THING.

YOUR RISK OF DYING IF YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT HIGH-RISK FACTORS OF UNDERLYING CONDITIONS IS MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THE QUESTION OF THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS.

IF YOU'RE IN YOUR 70s OR 80s AND ARE DIABETIC, AS MANY KENTUCKIANS ARE OR HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AS MANY HAVE, YOUR CHANCE OF BECOMING VERY SICK AND POSSIBLY DYING IS QUITE, QUITE HIGH, SO THE VACCINE, THE BENEFIT THERE CLEARLY, IN MY MIND, OUTWEIGHS.

RISK.

>> DO I WANT TO ASK ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY WE'VE GOTTEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS TISSUE OF VACCINE HESITANCY, AND I CAUGHT UP WITH KET'S OWN DR. WAYNE TUCKSON WHO HOSTS "KENTUCKY HEALTH" ON KET& HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY WHEN WE TALKED HAS BECOME.

DR. WAYNE TUCKSON, THANK YOU FOR MAKING SOME TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.

>> RENEE, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU PARTICULARLY ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

THERE WAS A CDC REPORT THAT CAME OUT THAT SHOWED THAT BLACK, HISPANIC AND NATIVE AMERICANS ARE DYING FROM COVID AT NEARLY THREE TIMES THE RATE OF WHITE AMERICANS.

AND EVEN HEALTH CARE WORKERS OF COLOR ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY COVID.

WANT TO GET YOUR RESPONSE ON WHY YOU THINK THOSE INEQUITY AND DISPARITIES EXIST.

>> I THINK LET'S START OFF INITIALLY WITH THE WHY THE INCREASED NUMBERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND HISPANICS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TYPE OF WORK WHICH IS GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH INDIVIDUALS, THESE SO-CALLED ESSENTIAL WORKERS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO TO GET POSITIVE COVID-19 OR HAVE EXPOSURE, ONE OUT OF FIVE OF THESE WORKERS OR ONE OF THE OUT OF FIVE AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAPPENS TO BE IN THAT WORK SPACE WHERE IS ONLY ONE OUT OF NINE WHITES ARE IN THAT WORK SPACE, SO WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT HAS INCREASED EXPOSURE JUST BY NATURE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THESE ARE THE FRONTLINE WORKERS WHO ARE DOING THE CLEANING OF OUR HOSPITALS, OUR BUILDINGS, THEY'RE WORKING AT THE FOOD LINES, THEY'RE THERE AT THE GROCERY STORE, ALL THESE SORTS OF JOBS.

THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE AT INCREASED EXPOSURE.

THEN YOU COUPLE THAT WITH WHEN YOU LOOK AT OVERALL HEALTH STATUS ANYWAY, THESE ARE THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO TEND TO HAVE THE POOREST REPORTS OF OVERALL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND THEN FINALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT TEND TO BE AT THE LOWER END OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC SAIL SCALE BY NATURE OF THE KIND OF WORK THEY DO AND THEREFORE THEY HAVE LESS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE THEY TEND TO LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT TEND TO BE LESS HEALTHY, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY TEND TO BE IN AREAS WHICH HAVE HIGHER POLLUTANTS, PARTICULATE MATTER AND WE KNOW PEOPLE EXPOSED TO PM 2.5 THESE PARTICLES LESS THAN 2.

5 MICRONS IN SIZE, THESE THINGS GET MOO THE LUNGS, AND THIS SEEMS TO MAKE COVID-19 EVEN WORSE.

SO BY WHERE THEY LIVE, WHERE THEY'RE WORKING WEEKS, AND THEIR PREEXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS, ALL THIS ADDS UP FOR THE CATASTROPHES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THESE COMMUNITIES.

>> AND PORTFOLIO, DR. TUCKSON, DOESN'T JUST REST ITS WHEN NUMBER OF CASES CASES AND DEATHS.

I ALSO IS APPLICABLE IN THE AREA OF VACCINES.

WE KNOW THAT PLACK AMERICANS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES COLOR ARE RECEIVING COVID VACCINATIONS AT DRAMATICALLY LOWER RATES THAN WHITE COUNTERPARTS.

AND IS THAT DUE JUST IN PART TO THE ACCESS ISSUES AND POSSIBLY MISTRUST BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AND EXPERIENCES IN OUR HISTORY WITH VACCINATIONS?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAIN REASONS WHY THERE'S THIS DISPARATE IN GETTING VACCINATIONS IN THESE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR?

>> YOU I THINK YOU KIND OF SAID EVERYTHING RIGHT THERE.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT NUMBER ONE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT TESTING EVEN AND HOW THAT WAS ROLLED OUT, IT SEEMED LIKE CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF OF OUR COMMUNITIES WERE ISOLATED OR OSTRACIZED FROM GETTING THEIR TENSION DONE.

THEY WERE PUT IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE COULDN'T GET TO THEM.

SO NOW WE START LOOKING AT THE VACCINE ROLL-OUT, AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS THIS PERCEPTION OF DISTRUST WITHIN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY PARTICULARLY, AND, QUITE FRANKLY, HOW CAN YOU BLAME THEM?

WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SYSTEM THAT FROM THE SOCIOECONOMIC SIDE, REDLINING, DISPROPORTIONATE AS FAR AS MORTGAGE ACCESS, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO GET HEALTH CARE, ALL THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN WORKING AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND THEN YOU ADD TO THAT HISTORICAL LEGACY OF THE TUCKS EGO EXPERIMENT WHICH THE DID NOT END UNTIL 1972, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE PROBLEMS FOR US THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME PROJECT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT?

ONE OF THE THINGS IS IT CAN'T BE THE VERY SAME PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN AS, IF YOU WILL, PUTTING THE YOLK ON THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME COMING LONG NOW SIG SAYING, HEY, EVERYBODY COME OBJECT WITH WE'RE YOU'LL GOING TO BE TREATED THE SAME, EVERYBODY COMING AND GET THE VACCINATION.

MIND YOU, I DO THINK EVERYONE SHOULD GET VACCINATED, BUT IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T WEAN INVESTIGATE VACCINATED TO TELL PEOPLE, IT'S SAFE, COME OUT AND GET IT DONE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW RAPIDLY THE PROCESS CAME ABOUT, YOU CANNOT HELP BUT BE SKEPTICAL AND SAY, IS THIS THING GOING TO BE A SAFE AS SNITS QUITE HONESTLY, I HAVE GREAT FAITH THE IN SCIENCE AND IN HOW THE VACCINES HAVE TURNED OUT, BUT IF YOU'RE SUDDENLY SITTING THERE GOING, I WANT IF YOU'VE DONE THERE FOR COVID-19, WELL, WHAT ABOUT HIV?

YOU'VE BEEN DEALING WITH HIV FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS YET YOU HAVE NO VACCINE FOR THAT.

NOW I'M SUPPOSED BELIEVE THIS ONE CAME OUT IN NINE MONTHS' TIME AND IT'S GOING TO BE SAFE?

SO IT'S A DIFFICULT SELL BUT IT'S NOT AN IMPOSSIBLE SELL.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT GROUPS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE OLDEST HISTORICALLY BLACK MEDICAL GRUHN IN THE COUNTRY, GROUPS SUCH AS BLACK COVID -- BLACK COALITION AGAINST COVID-19, WHICH IS A LOCAL GROUP IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND ON THE EAST COAST, AND THEN THE BLACK DOCTORS.ORG ARE COMING OUT AS AFRICAN AMERICAN GROUPS AND SAYING, HEY, THE VACCINE IS SAFE.

WE CAN TAKE THIS.

AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOURS UNTIL THE LONG TERM.

>> AND YOU'RE ALSO, DR. TUCKSON, A LEADING BY EXAMPLE IN SHOWING THE POWER OF YOUR EXAMPLE BECAUSE YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE ASTRO SENECA TRIAL.

SO TELL US ABOUT THAT AND HOW EVEN YOURER EXPERIMENTIZATION INTO THIS ENDEAVOR IS HOPING TO BRING AND BUILD UP THAT CONFIDENCE THAT COMMUNITIES OF ARE ENCLOSE HAVE IN THIS WHOLE VACCINATION PROCESS AND THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE IN AND OF ITSELF.

>> THE BEST THING THAT I CAN DO IS LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

I CANNOT HONESTLY TELL SOMEONE ELSE TO SAY, OKAY, YEAH, THE VACCINES ARE SAFE AND YOU OUGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN TRIALS AND ALSO YOU OUGHT TO GET VACCINE WHETHER YOU PARTICIPATE IN TRIAL UNLESS I DO THAT MYSELF, SO THAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR ME TO GET OUT THERE SO PEOPLE CAN SAY, WAY, WAYNE TUCKSON ABOUT IT DID IT.

IF WAYNE TUCKSON DID IT AND HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S DOING OKAY WEEK TO MY KNOWLEDGE I HAVEN'T GROWN A THIRD HEAD OR ARM COMING OUT OF MY CHEST.

I'VE STILL GOT THE TWO THAT I'VE GOT.

PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS THING IS SAFE AND IT IS GOING TO WORK FOR THEM.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO GET CONTROL OF COVID-19, WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART, AND OUR PART IS WEARING A MASK, MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND GETTING THE VACCINE.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO GET CONTROL IN ALL SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE TO DO THAT, THEREFORE, WE HAVE TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, AND I THINK THE MESS ENDERS INJURES HAVE TO BE TRUSTWORTHY, AND HOW MANY BY PEOPLE SEEING ME DO IT THEY'LL SAY IT'S SAFE FOR ME.

>> DR. TUCKSON, WISE WORDS FROM A SAGE SOUL, AND WE ARE SO GLAD YOU SHARED YOUR TIME WITH US AND APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO ON KET.

"KENTUCKY HEALTH" AIRS EVERY WEEK, AND YOU SEE IT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK ON OUR AIR WAVES.

AND WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE YOU OF SHARING YOUR SPEAR TEES AND YOUR PASSION FOR MAKING SURE COMMUNITIES UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY OF THIS VACCINE AND HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE MORE TO GET IT WHEN IT'S THEIR TURN.

THANK YOU, DR. TUCKSON.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RENEE.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> SO WE HAVE THIS QUESTION FROM LAURIE SHELBURNE IN ELECTRICS ANDS CAN ANYONE ON THE PANEL EXPLAIN WHY A PERSON WHO RECEIVES MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES FOR COVID TO WAIT 90 DAYS TO GET THE VACCINE?

I'LL GO TO YOU, DR. DOUBTER.

>> YOU HAVE TO MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS AND YOUR BOYDEN BODY'S LONG-TERM IMMUNE RESPONSE WILL NOT BE AS GOOD, AT LEAST THAT'S THE THOUGHT, IF YOU GET VACCINE BEFORE THAT THREE-MONTH PERIOD OF TIME IS UP.

>> AND SO WE HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS HERE.

I WANT TO GO TO YOU, DR.ING VENDITTO.

THIS QUESTION FROM JOYCE MYTH?

IN LEXINGTON.

WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IS NOT TREATING THE ELDERLY AS PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO VACCINE INCOME YOU RESPOND TO MS. JOYCE?

>> I WISH I COULD.

YEAH, I'M NOT INVOLVED IN HOW THE UNIVERSITY IS HANDLING VACCINES, SO I WISH I COULD SAY MORE ABOUT THAT.

I'M I'M SORRY.

>> DR. KLEIN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD ABOUT THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO THAT QUESTION?

>> YEAH, THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE IN A COUPLE STUD THAT IT IS ANTIBODY TREATMENT STEAL SUPPRESSED, AND THESE WERE RESEARCH STUDIES -- THESE WERE NOT IN CLINICAL SETTINGS -- BUT THAT THE ANTIBODY ACTIVITY ACTUALLY SUPPRESSED THE RESPONSE TO THE VACCINE, SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON IN ADDITION TO WHAT DR. DOUGHERTY SAID, THAT THERE IS IS THIS WAITED AFTERWARDS.

>> DR. VENDITTO WEEKS WE HAVE THIS QUESTION FROM CRAIG HARDIN FROM LEXINGTON SAYS, "MY FATHER IN LOUISVILLE IS 91-1/2 AND A HALF YEARS OLD WITH SEVERAL MOW COMORBIDITY AND IS HE'S A STAGE 4 CANCER SURVIVOR.

HE IS LIMITED TO WHEELCHAIR DID AND DOES NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO ET GET HIM IN THE CHAIR."

WE KNOW HE'S IN LOUISVILLE BUT CAN YOU GIVE US WORDS OF WISDOM HERE?

>> I WISH I COULD.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

I WISH I COULD PROVIDE MORE WISDOM.

I'M SORRY I CAN'T.

>> SURE, I UNDERSTAND.

THIS QUESTION THEY'VE GOT A DENTAL IMPLANT POST JANUARY 22nd, THEN RECEIVED THE COVID VACCINATION JANUARY 26th, ABOUT FIVE DAYS LATER.

HIS JAW BONES BEGAN ACHING.

WENT TO THE DENTIST WHO ADVISED HIM TO TAKE IBUPROFEN TWICE DAILY.

CAN THE IBUPROFEN INTERIOR WITH THE VEREEN?

DR. DOUBTERY?

>> SOUNDS LIKE HE TOOK IT AFTER THE VACCINE.

I THINK THAT'S NOT AS AS MUCH OF A CANCER IF YOU TOOK IT PROPHYLACTICALLY BEFORE.

WE DON'T KNOW THE FINAL ANSWER TO THAT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE STUD.

>> I HAD SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE CONCLUDE TONIGHT, THIS IS THREE-QUARTERS HAS BEEN A FAST-PACED HOUR, IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT DR. TUCKSON TALKED ABOUT, THAT WE STILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO THOSE MITIGATION MEASURES.

DR. DO IT, DR. KLEIN.

I'LL GO TO YOU DR. KLEIN IN LOUISVILLE.

WEAR MASKS.

YOU HEARD DR. STACK SAY AT THE BEGINNING THAT PERHAPS THIS MIGHT BE PART OF OUR WARDROBE FOR A TIME TO COME, SO THE IMPORTANT OF MASKS AND WHAT KIND OF MASK SHOULD WE WEARING?

>> WELL, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO WEAR OUR MASKS, AND I AGREE WITH DR. STACK THAT THIS IS LIKELY TO BE WELL INTO THE SUMMER, WE WILL INTO THE FALL OF THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WEARING MASKS AND EVEN MAYBE BEYOND FOR CERTAIN VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

MASKS WORK.

THAT'S AN ESTABLISHED FACT.

THERE ARE SOME CDC GUIDANCES REGARDING THE TYPES OF MASKS THAT WE USE.

IT'S OBVIOUSLY BETTER TO WEAR A SURGICAL MASK THAN TO WEAR A CLOTH COVERING.

CDC SAYS IF YOU WEAR A CLOTH COVERING, WEAR ONE THAT AT LEAST HAS TWO LAYERS TO IT.

I PREFER EVEN THREE LAYERS TO IT.

BUT LET'S CONTINUE TO WEAR THOSE MASKS AND SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND JUST REALLY CONFINE OUR ACTIVITIES TO THE PEOPLE WE LIVE WITH IN OUR HOME OF AS BEST WE CAN OTHER THAN FOR ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES UNTIL WE'RE THROUGH THIS.

>> THANK YOU, DR. KLEIN.

THOSE ARE GOOD WORDS TO END ON.

I THANK YOU, DR. KLEIN, YOU DR. VENDITTO AND YOU DR. DOUGHERTY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AS WELL AS DR. STACK, SECRETARY GRAY, DR. WAYNE TUCKSON AND MR. MILLWEE.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TWO HOURS TONIGHT ON KET.

WE HOPE YOU'VE GIVEN A LOT OF INFORMATION.

OUR THOUGHTS CERTAINLY WITH THOSE WHO ARE MOURNING THE LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONES DUE TO COVID AND OTHER CONDITIONS AS WELL.

WE CERTAINLY ARE THINKING OF YOU DURING THIS TIME.

CONTINUE TO COUNT ON KET TO BRING INFORMATION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND WE HOPE THEY'VE DONE THAT FOR YOU TONIGHT.

TAKE REALLY GOOD CARE, AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON.