>> WE'RE EXAMINING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN SOUTHERN NEVADA'S MOBILIZATION EFFORTS TO IMMUNIZE NEVADANS FROM COVID-19.

THAT'S THIS WEEK ON "NEVADA WEEK."

[MUSIC] >> SUPPORT FOR "NEVADA WEEK" IS PROVIDED BY SENATOR WILLIAM H. HERNSTADT AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING SPONSORS.

>> RECENT RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SURVEYS REVEALED THAT, THOUGH, THERE'S A STEADY RISE IN CONFIDENCE 1 IN 5 AMERICANS STILL WON'T GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE.

LARGE DEMOGRAPHICS IN NEVADA LIKE AFRICAN-AMERICANS LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME POPULATIONS AND CONSERVATIVE GROUPS ARE ALSO HISTORICALLY LESS INCLINED TO GET VACCINATED.

AT A PARTISAN POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT, DISTRUST IN SCIENCE AND RELATED MISINFORMATION IS SHARED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE QUESTION IS WHEN, HOW OR EVEN CAN NEVADA REACH WHAT EXPERTS CALL HERD IMMUNITY.

NOW, HERD IMMUNITY LEVELS ARE WHEN ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE IMMUNE TO SLOW THE TRANSMISSION AND CONTAIN THE VIRUS.

WELL, THIS WEEK OUR DISCUSSION WILL HOPE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SOUTHERN NEVADA IS DOING TO INSTILL CONFIDENCE AND MOBILIZE OUR PUBLIC FOR VACCINATION.

JOINING US FOR THIS CONVERSATION IS: DANA GENTRY, JOURNALIST FROM THE NEVADA CURRENT; HEIDI PARKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR IMMUNIZE NEVADA; DR. SHADABA ASAD, CHIEF IMMUNOLOGIST AT THE MEDICAL CENTER AND JOANN RUPIPER DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT ).

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US WE HAVE A LOT TO COVER.

I WANT TO JUMP RIGHT TO IT.

AND JOANN I WANTED TO START WITH YOU, LET'S TALK ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY AND THAT TOLERANCE LEVEL, DO WE HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE?

DOES IT CHANGE FROM STATE TO STATE?

JUST TO START OFF WITH, WHAT IS OUR TOLERANCE?

WHAT IS THE GOAL WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE?

>> WELL, WITH EVERY INFECTIOUS DISEASE THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENT NUMBER FOR HERD IMMUNITY.

SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM THE CDS THAT'S AROUND 75%, 80, SOMEWHERE IN THERE ).

SO THAT MEANS WE NEED THAT MANY PEOPLE TO BE IMMUNE FROM EITHER DISEASE OR VACCINE IN ORDER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON DECREASING RATES OF INFECTION AND DEATH.

>> HEIDI, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN JUST THE VACCINE HERE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY.

OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE ANTIBODIES BUT I KNOW EVEN SOCIAL DISTANCING STILL APPLIES HERE; IS THAT CORRECT?

>> IT DOES.

AND ALSO WEARING MASKS AND EVEN AFTER VACCINATION, WE EXPECT THOSE PROTOCOLS TO BE IN PLACE FOR A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME.

>> DR. ASAD CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT TOLERANCE, 75%, DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT?

IS THERE ANY FLUCTUATION THERE, THE RESEARCH I'VE SEEN VARIES WIDELY AS HIGH LOW AS 43 PERCENT, AS HIGH AS 90%, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT.

>> OBVIOUSLY THE MORE THE BETTER.

BUT I WOULD AGREE WITH JOANN, NUMBERS I'VE READ THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR GIVING, SOMETHING AROUND 60 TO 70% WE WILL START SEEING A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE AND THE NUMBER OF CASES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE MORE THE BETTER.

>> JOANN, IF WE DON'T REACH THAT TOLERANCE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES HERE?

IS THIS JUST THE DISEASE JUST CONTINUES TO SPREAD ESSENTIALLY?

>> RIGHT.

AND KEEP IN MIND WE'RE LEARNING MORE EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH WITH THIS DISEASE.

THERE'S STILL A LOT TO BE KNOWN.

WE KNOW WE HAVE A VACCINE NOW.

WE KNOW THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKING WORKS.

SO WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE UP IN ORDER FOR US TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON THOSE RATES.

>> AND HEIDI, GEOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING HERE, WE'RE TALKING OF COURSE ABOUT STATE LEVEL, OR IN OUR CASE JUST MAYBE SOUTHERN NEVADA AND REACHING THOSE LEVELS, CAN THIS VARY BY ZIP CODE?

COULD YOU HAVE ONE ZIP CODE THAT'S AT TOLERANCE AND ESSENTIALLY HAS HERD IMMUNITY AND THEN A NEIGHBORING ZIP CODE DOES NOT?

>> I THINK VIRUSES DON'T KNOW BORDERS.

AND I THINK THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY ATTENTION TO A ZIP CODE.

SO I THINK WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL AMONG COMMUNITIES IN NEVADA, WE REALLY DO NEED NEVADA TO DO ITS PART AND GET VACCINATED.

HISTORY TELLS US THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT PAST DISEASES LIKE SMALLPOX AND POLIO.

>> DANA, I WANTED TO COME TO YOU, OF COURSE NEVADA HAS RELEASED A PLAYBOOK, NEVADA COVID-19 PLAYBOOK.

IT'S ON ITS THIRD VERSION NOW, 3.0 AS THEY'RE CALLING IT.

AND THIS NEW VERSION, THE WAY WE'RE TARGETING OR TIERING THE POPULATIONS HERE IS WHAT THEY'RE CALLING A DUAL LANE APPROACH WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS LIKE WE WERE IN THE FIRST TWO VERSIONS BUT AT THE SAME TIME FOCUSING ON GENERAL POPULATION STARTING WITH OUR OLDEST POPULATIONS FIRST.

YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON COVID-19 FROM THE BEGINNING HERE.

HAVE YOU TALKED TO PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS?

HAVE YOU TALKED TO MAYBE SOME SCIENTISTS OR OUR MEDICAL SECTOR HERE ABOUT 3.0, THIS NEW PLAN?

IS THERE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN ITS EFFICIENCY?

>> YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO TALK WITH PEOPLE ABOUT 3.0.

IT JUST CAME OUT A FEW DAYS AGO.

BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS NEVADA, I THINK MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE, IS UNIQUELY RELIANT ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED NATIONALLY LED AND EXECUTED PLAN.

AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, BACK DURING THE QUARANTINE, THE SHUTDOWN IN APRIL AND MAY, NEVADA FARED VERY WELL.

WE DID OUR JOB.

WE DID WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.

I THINK GOOGLE MEASURED OUR MOVEMENTS AND WE WERE AMONG THE LEADERS IN STAYING PUT.

THE PROBLEM IS WE CAN'T FUNCTION IN A VACUUM.

AND AS SOON AS WE OPEN THE GATES AND LET THE REST OF THE WORLD IN, THINGS WENT OUT OF CONTROL.

SO ABSENT AN ORGANIZED -- I'M SURE THE STATE HAS A ROLE IN EXECUTING THIS, BUT I THINK IN A FULLY FUNCTIONING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU WOULD SEE ASSISTANCE.

YOU WOULD SEE TRAINING.

I DID A STORY WHERE I MENTIONED THAT RENO HAS SIX LANES OF TRAFFIC COMING LEADING INTO 12 VACCINATION BAYS SO THAT 12 NURSES AT A TIME CAN VACCINATE PEOPLE.

AND THEY ARE DOING I BELIEVE IT WAS -- I FIGURED OUT THAT BASICALLY TO DO THIS TO GET -- IN SOUTHERN NEVADA TO GET TO THE GOAL OF 40,000, OUR GOAL IS 40 TO 45,000 A WEEK WAS ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY, TO GET TO THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ABOUT 48 NURSES PARTICIPATING EIGHT HOURS A DAY SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

AND I KNOW THAT JOANN WAS ASKED AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY ABOUT STAFFING.

SHE WASN'T VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT IT.

MAYBE SHE CAN GIVE US MORE INFORMATION.

BUT WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE COMING FROM, WHO IS PAYING THEM?

WHY IN THE UNITED STATES WE'VE DISTRIBUTED I BELIEVE ABOUT 27.7 MILLION VACCINES AND ONLY 9.3 MILLION AS OF WEDNESDAY HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED IS THAT A LACK OF RESOURCES?

IS IT A RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC?

ARE VACCINES THE NEW MASKS?

HAVE THEY BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE?

I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE CAN COME UP WITH AN EFFECTIVE THIRD PLAYBOOK OR FOURTH PLAYBOOK OR WHATEVER.

>> WELL, LET'S ASK JOANN THAT FIRST QUESTION YOU HAVE THERE JUST ON THE CAPACITY BEING ABLE TO DELIVER.

LOOKS LIKE THIS DUELING APPROACH IS AT LEAST TO THE LAY PERSON IS AT LEAST ASSEMBLED SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE VACCINES INTO THE ARMS OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE HAVE ISSUES ON BEING ABLE TO CONTAIN OR PRESERVE THE VACCINE IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT THAT OF COURSE ISN'T ANSWERING THE QUESTION DANA HAD DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DELIVER THE VACCINE.

WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE THERE, JOANN?

>> YES.

SO WE HAVE A CAPACITY AS OF JANUARY 18TH WE'LL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO ABOUT 25,000 A WEEK AND THEN THE WEEK AFTER THAT WILL BE IN THE 40S.

KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR ALLOTMENT AS OF TODAY IS 35,000 A WEEK PER FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF NEVADA.

SO WE HAVE TO SHARE THAT WITH OTHER PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WALGREENS AND CVS GETS THEIR ALLOTMENT SO THEY CAN VACCINATE LONG-TERM CARE AND THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE REALLY AT HIGH RISK.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT WE NEED.

AS FAR AS STAFFING, BECAUSE WE IN NEVADA CAN USE EMTs AND PARAMEDICS, THEY'RE TRAINED TO DO VACCINE.

WE'VE PARTNERED WITH UNIVERSITIES TO PROVIDE STAFFING AND THEN OUR OWN STAFF, WE'RE WORKING WITH A COMPANY TO INCREASE OUR STAFFING AS WELL.

SO KEEP IN MIND -- >> I'M SORRY.

>> OKAY.

>> JUST KEEP IN MIND -- >> LET ME JUMP, I'M SORRY JOANN, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOU BUT THE CAPACITY SIDE BACK TO WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HERE, CAPACITY, A NUMBER OF VACCINES WE HAVE DON'T MATTER IF WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN PEOPLE WILLING TO GET THE VACCINE.

I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND I WANTED TO GO AROUND OUR ENTIRE TABLE AND GET AN IDEA OF WHERE YOU THINK WE ARE ON PUBLIC CONFIDENCE GOING BACK TO THE TOLERANCE WHETHER IT'S 60, 75%, DO YOU THINK OUR PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IS AT THE LEVEL IT NEEDS TO BE WHERE WE'LL SEE THOSE TYPES OF NUMBERS AND DR. ASAD I WANTED TO START WITH YOU.

>> SO YOU KNOW I THINK THAT IS THE REAL QUESTION TO BE ASKED.

WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING THAT HERD IMMUNITY, THE WAY I SEE IT THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT OBSTACLES THAT NEED TO BE OVERCOME AND I THINK THE FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE VACCINE.

NOBODY'S GOING TO SHOW UP AT YOUR MEGA PODS IF THEY DON'T FEEL THAT A CERTAIN VACCINE IS EITHER EFFECTIVE OR SAFE.

THE SECOND THING IS OBVIOUSLY THE AVAILABILITY OF THE VACCINE.

AND I THINK THE THIRD ONE IS THE LOGISTICS OF ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTING THAT VACCINE.

IF I MIGHT, EARLIER ON YOU ASKED A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION.

YES, WE WANT HERD IMMUNITY, BUT DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT DEPENDING ON THE ZIP CODE THAT HERD IMMUNITY MAY ACTUALLY DIFFER.

AND I ACTUALLY DO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL DIFFER, BECAUSE BASED ON THE ZIP CODE, THE WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE VACCINE VARIES WIDELY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.

THERE ARE AREAS AND ZIP CODES WHERE PEOPLE ARE VERY RESPONSIVE AND THEY WANT TO GET THE VACCINE AND THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHICH FRANKLY HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT BY THIS PANDEMIC WHERE BECAUSE OF LACK OF INFORMATION THE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS VACCINE IS VERY [INAUDIBLE] THE HERD IMMUNITY YOU'RE TRYING TO OVERCOME THREE DIFFERENT OBSTACLES FIRST IS THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE VACCINE.

THE SECOND ONE IS GOING TO BE AVAILABILITY WHICH IS FRANKLY OUT OF OUR HANDS AND THE THIRD PART IS THE LOGISTICS OF IT.

SO WE DO NEED TO TACKLE THESE THREE AREAS IF WE WANT TO GET TO THAT 60, 70% HERD IMMUNITY.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED THE CONFIDENCE IN THE VACCINE ITSELF CAN YOU DISPEL MAYBE SOME OF THE MYTHS OR GIVE US YOUR PERCEPTIONS THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE OR SOME OF THE, MAYBE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE PUBLIC MIGHT HAVE RELATED TO IT RIGHT NOW.

>> LET ME START BY THE SIMPLE STATEMENT THAT THE MRNA VACCINES, THE ONES THAT ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE, ARE SAFE.

AND EVERYONE SHOULD ACTUALLY GO AHEAD AND GET THEM.

RIGHT?

HAVING SAID THAT, NOTHING IN LIFE IS 100%, AND EVEN MORE SO THIS IS TRUE FOR MEDICINE.

THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE CERTAIN SIDE EFFECTS OF A MEDICATION OR A VACCINE.

THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RARE REACTIONS TO THE VACCINES OR ALLERGIC REACTIONS.

BUT REALLY YOU NEED TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT OF THE INCIDENCE OF THOSE SIDE EFFECTS AND REACTIONS, THE SEVERITY OF THE SIDE EFFECTS AND REACTIONS.

AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RISK OF GETTING COVID INFECTION.

AND YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THOSE RISKS AND BENEFITS WHEN YOU MAKE THE CHOICE TO GET THE VACCINE.

AND ALSO WHEN YOU ADVOCATE TO YOUR PUBLIC TO GET THE VACCINE.

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

ONE THING THAT HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF ATTENTION BOTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND ON TELEVISION HAS BEEN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTIONS TO THE VACCINE.

RIGHT?

THESE ARE THE SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTIONS.

EARLIER JANUARY THE CDC POSTED SOMETHING THAT BOILS DOWN THE RISK OF ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION WITH MRNA VACCINATION IS ONE IN 100,000.

THAT SEEMS TO BE CONCERNING.

BUT LET ME PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU.

THE RISK OF GETTING A ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION WITH AN ANTIBIOTIC LIKE PENICILLIN IS ONE IN 5,000.

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, YES, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANAPHYLACTIC REACTIONS, BUT IT IS RARE.

WE HAVE WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE MONITORED FOR A SLIGHTLY LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AS COMPARED TO PEOPLE WITH NO ALLERGIC REACTION HISTORY.

YES, THERE'S RISKS IN ANYTHING IN LIFE.

WHEN YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH IT, YOU NEED TO WEIGH THE RISK VERSUS THE BENEFIT OVER HERE.

AND IN MY MIND HERE THE BENEFIT IS QUITE CLEAR.

THE RISKS ARE LOW AND ALL MANAGEABLE.

SO BOTTOM LINE IS GET THE VACCINE.

>> HEIDI, YOUR PERSPECTIVE THERE, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.

>> I THINK KNOWING THAT ACTUALLY YESTERDAY SOME APPOINTMENT SYSTEMS CRASHED ACTUALLY AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ALSO HERE IN NEVADA, I THINK THOSE THAT KNOW THAT THEIR ELIGIBILITY TIME IS COMING SOON ARE DESPERATE TO GET THIS VACCINE.

THEY'VE SEEN THE DEVASTATION IN THEIR OWN FAMILIES AND THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.

SO I THINK FROM THAT ASPECT WE ARE SEEING QUITE HIGH DEMAND AND OBVIOUSLY AS JOANN ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT SUPPLY IS NOT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE.

I ALSO WOULD SAY TO DR. ASAD'S POINT THAT ABSOLUTELY WE KNOW THERE'S COMMUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CONFIDENCE IS THERE AND ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND I THINK WE CAN BE -- I THINK WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS WORKING ON THAT IN NEVADA AND AM PROUD OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING.

AND WE HAVE THE NEVADA MINORITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COALITION AND THE REACH PROGRAM AT SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT.

SO I THINK THIS HAS BEEN TOP OF MIND.

AND I REALLY -- I REALLY HAVE SEEN THE VALUE OF EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER ON THE GROUND TO ENSURE THAT.

>> WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT STRATEGY IN JUST A MOMENT.

JOANN I WANT TO GIVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE, TOO, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE DO YOU THINK WE CAN GET TO THAT HERD IMMUNITY LEVEL?

>> YES, I DO.

BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.

SO I THINK VACCINE HAS A HISTORY OF VACCINE HESITANCY SINCE THE FIRST ONE OF SMALLPOX.

AND IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN SMALLPOX, IT WAS HIDEOUS.

SO I CAN'T IMAGINE TURNING DOWN A VACCINE FOR THAT, RIGHT?

SO I THINK THOSE WHO HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH COVID DIRECTLY, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT INFECTION, I'M TALKING ABOUT DEATH, THAT THOSE STORIES NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND UNDERSTAND THAT VACCINE IS HERE AND IT CAN PREVENT THAT.

I WILL SAY THAT DR. ASAD IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT ALL PHYSICIANS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED TO DO IS MAKE A STRONG RECOMMENDATION FOR THE VACCINE.

THAT HAS BEEN RESEARCHED AND PROVEN WITH VACCINES BEFORE.

THAT A STRONG PROVIDER, A STRONG DOCTOR AND NURSE SAYING, YES, GET THE VACCINE WILL INCREASE THE ACCEPTANCE OF IT BECAUSE AS HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WERE TRUSTED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE BASIC STRATEGIES TO ASSIST FAMILIES IN DECIDING WHETHER TO GET THAT VACCINE OR NOT.

>> DANA, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR REPORTING, WHAT IS THE PUBLIC SAYING?

>> I DID A STORY WE LOOKED HISTORICALLY AT FLU VACCINATION, AND HISPANIC POPULATIONS THE LOWEST FREQUENCY AT ABOUT 37% FOLLOWED BY BLACKS AT 39%, ASIANS AT 44% AND WHITES AT 49%.

SO THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A SENSE OF URGENCY IN GETTING THIS VACCINATION.

AND I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF GIVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IF THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO SAY, WELL, OTHERS ARE GOING TO GET IT, I'LL RELY ON THEIR HERD IMMUNITY.

AND THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINATIONS.

DOES IT PROTECT AGAINST INFECTION?

OR JUST ILLNESS AND DEATH?

SO I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE VARIABLES THAT WILL PLAY INTO THE HERD IMMUNITY QUESTION.

>> LET'S ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW, DR. ASAD.

WHAT DOES THE VACCINE PROTECT AGAINST THEN?

>> SO I THINK WHAT'S BEING REFERRED TO OVER HERE IS THAT IN THE PFIZER TRIAL, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE ONLY FOLLOWING UP PATIENTS ONCE THEY REPORTED SYMPTOMS AND THEN THEY TESTED THEM TO SEE IF THEY HAD DEVELOPED COVID OR NOT.

SO WE DO KNOW THAT PFIZER VACCINE PREVENTS SYMPTOMATIC COVID INFECTION.

THE QUESTION THAT IS BEING ASKED IS: DOES IT HAVE THE ABILITY TO PREVENT ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION?

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE MODERNA TRIAL, THEY ACTUALLY WERE SWABBING PATIENTS FOR COVID INFECTION EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF SYMPTOMS, WHICH IS WHY THE MODERNA VACCINATION IS ACTUALLY ABLE TO CLAIM THAT IT CAN PREVENT ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION AS WELL.

HONESTLY, THE WAY I SEE IT IS THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SIMPLY NOT LOOKED FOR IN THE PFIZER TRIALS.

THEY WERE SIMPLY NOT CHECKING COVID-19 SWABS IN PATIENTS WHO HAD NO SYMPTOMS.

IF THEY HAD DONE IT, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ALSO SEEN THE SAME THING, BECAUSE THINK OF ALL THE OTHER VACCINES THAT WE HAVE FOR OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

WHEN A VACCINE IS CAPABLE OF PREVENTING AN INFECTION, THERE'S NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT IT CANNOT PREVENT ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION.

SO I FEEL THAT IS AN ISSUE OF WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IN THE TRIAL: THE MODERNA FOLKS WERE LOOKING FOR ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THAT VACCINE CAN PREVENT ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION.

IN THE PFIZER TRIAL, THEY WOULD ONLY SWAB PEOPLE FOR COVID INFECTION WHEN THEY REPORTED SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH COVID, WHICH IS WHY THEY CANNOT STATE THAT.

>> HEIDI, I WANT TO COME BACK, LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT JUST THE OUTREACH EFFORTS AND STRATEGIES AROUND TARGETING MAYBE SPECIFIC POPULATIONS, OR MAYBE NOT, MAYBE IT'S BROADER OUTREACH CAMPAIGN HERE.

AND ON NEVADA WEEK WE COVERED THE CENSUS QUITE A BIT, SIMILAR POPULATIONS UNDERREPRESENTED OR HESITANT, MAYBE TO BE COUNTED.

THE DIFFERENCE OF COURSE IS EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE COUNTED AND IN THIS CASE WE DON'T.

WITH THAT SAID ARE WE TARGETING SPECIFIC POPULATIONS THAT ARE MAYBE MORE LIKELY TO GET THE VACCINE OR ARE WE FOCUSING ON THE POPULATIONS THAT ARE LESS LIKELY OR HESITANT TO GET THE VACCINE IN OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS >> I THINK DANA BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT OUR FLU RATES.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THAT JUST HISTORICALLY TO LOOK AT FROM WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE NEED TO GET WITH THIS SPECIFIC VACCINE.

OBVIOUSLY IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION.

AND SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL INCREASE AND AS SHE SAID THE URGENCY TO GET VACCINATED.

FROM AN OUTREACH PERSPECTIVE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SPECIFICALLY IMMUNIZE NEVADA DID WAS AHEAD OF FLU SEASON WE HIRED A TEAM OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND THOSE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE ACROSS NEVADA ACTUALLY.

SO WE HAVE RENO.

WE HAVE LAS VEGAS.

PAHRUMP AND ACTUALLY WE JUST ADDED ELKO.

AND THOSE WORKERS HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND.

THEY'VE BEEN DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEIR COMMUNITY AND USED FLU SEASON KIND OF AS A TEST AND AS A WAY TO BUILD THAT FRAMEWORK.

AND THEN ARE ABLE TO JUST CARRY THAT RIGHT INTO COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.

SPECIFICALLY IN LAS VEGAS, THAT DOES INCLUDE THAT REACH PROGRAM.

AND SO WE DO HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY WORKING WITH BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITY WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS.

AND I THINK AS FAR AS OUTREACH, LOOKING AT THOSE LANES, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THOSE LANES ENSURING THAT EACH GROUP THAT IS KIND OF THEIR TURN TO SHOW OFF AND GET VACCINATED THAT THEN WE HAVE THE RESOURCES IN PLACE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO THAT GROUP.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HEARING A LOT ABOUT SENIORS AND THOSE 70 AND OLDER.

SO ON YOU FOCUS IS NOT ONLY MAKING SURE THAT SENIORS HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED AND THAT THEY CAN ACCESS IT BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON SOME MESSAGING TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP A SENIOR THAT YOU KNOW OR HOW YOU CAN HELP MAYBE DOWN AT THE SENIOR CENTER OR WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES SENIORS TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT IS A LITTLE CHALLENGING AND I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S NOT A BARRIER.

>> TO DANA'S POINT, ALSO THAT WE LIVE IN A MUCH MORE PARTISAN POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW JUST WITH WHAT CURRENT EVENTS HAVE BEEN.

IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA, EVEN PEW RESEARCH AND SOME OF THE SURVEYS THEY'VE DONE, LOOKING AT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.

THERE'S A 19 POINT GAP, DEMOCRATS, 69 PERCENT ARE GOING TO TAKE THE VACCINE.

REPUBLICANS 50% WILL TAKE THE VACCINE.

PRETTY WIDE GAP THERE IS ANY OUTREACH OR FOCUS GOING TO BE ON FOCUSING ON SOME OF THOSE POLITICAL DIVIDES WE HAVE SEEN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO RETICENCE TO TAKE THE VACCINE ITSELF AS WELL?

>> I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THIS IS A TIME TO RESTORE OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY A TIME FOR US TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COME TOGETHER AND UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO DO IT ACROSS THE STATE.

OBVIOUSLY LAS VEGAS IS CARRYING A LARGE BURDEN OF THAT NUMBER BUT WE STILL HAVE TO DO IT AS A STATE AND FOR ME I WOULD HOPE TO SEE SOME BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

WE'VE SEEN CONTINUITY OF GOVERNANCE IS ON THAT LANE LIST.

AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS WE HEAD INTO LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND SOME OF OUR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS REALLY STEPPING UP LEADING BY EXAMPLE AND AS YOU SAID EARLIER LIKE HOLDING THAT PUBLIC, THAT CHARGE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND DO IT AS ONE COMMUNITY.

>> JOANN, YOU MENTIONED SMALLPOX.

WE'VE HAD MANDATES IN PLACE BEFORE WHERE VACCINES ARE MANDATED BY STATE GOVERNMENTS.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN NEVADA BUT WE'VE SEEN SOME OTHER STATES MOVE TOWARDS LEGISLATION TO DO SO.

OF COURSE, PRIVATELY EMPLOYERS CAN MANDATE VACCINES.

DO YOU THINK IF WE GET TO A LEVEL WHERE WE'RE NOT NEAR WHAT THAT HERD IMMUNITY TOLERANCE IS WE COULD SEE LARGER MANDATES HERE IN OUR STATE.

>> THAT WILL BE A DECISION AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.

AND I WOULD TYPICALLY THEY GET FEEDBACK FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THEY DECIDE WHETHER THAT WILL BE A MANDATE OR NOT.

WE WEIGH IN WHETHER THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION OR NOT I KNOW HEIDI AND IMMUNIZE NEVADA HAS ASSISTED LEGISLATORS IN GETTING INFORMED ON THE ISSUES WITH VACCINE AND SCHOOL VACCINES.

THOSE ARE MANDATED, VERY COMMON.

WE HAVE VERY GOOD COVERAGE.

90% AND HIGHER FOR THOSE TYPES OF VACCINES.

YES, THAT IS A STRATEGY THAT COULD BE USED.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UNFORTUNATELY I'M SORRY WE'RE OUT OF TIME I WISH WE COULD CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION BUT APPRECIATE ALL YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR JOINING US THIS WEEK ON "NEVADA WEEK."

FOR ANY OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE DISCUSSED ON THIS SHOW PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT VEGAS PBS.org/NEVADA-WEEK THAT INCLUDES THE RESOURCES FROM THE SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT AND IMMUNIZE NEVADA.

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT "NEVADA WEEK."