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American on participating in AstraZeneca trial: 'It was important for me to do what I could to help'

Vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the US
Erin Guy
Anchor
American on participating in AstraZeneca trial: 'It was important for me to do what I could to help'

Vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the US

LOOK WHO’S WITH US. LOTS OF QUESTIONS DOES NEW DATA ABOUT THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE BOOST CONFIDENCE THAT THE US MAY AUTHORIZE A FOURTH. TO PREVENT COVID-19 HERE TO ANSWER THAT AND SO MUCH MORE DR. TODD ELLER AND CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. WE SO APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT ASTRAZENECA THE OTHER DAY THINGS HAVE CHANGED NOW SINCE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT. IT’S BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS RECENTLY ASTRAZENECA HAS AND THEY NOW SAY THE VACCINE SHOWS 76% EFFICACY AT PREVENTING ILLNESS INITIALLY. THEY SAID IT WAS 79% RIGHT? THAT WAS THE INITIA THING THAT THEY SAID 100% SEE AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE OR HOSPITALIZATION. SO YOU TELL US IN YOUR OPINION AS AN EXPERT. IS THAT WHAT MATTERS THE MOST OR DO YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS VACCINE? MARIE I’M HAPPY THAT THE COMPANY TURNED AROUND THE RESULTS AND GAVE US A MORE WHAT I THINK IS UP TO DATE RESULTS. MY GUESS IS THEY THEY LEFT OUT ABOVE THE LAST MONTH OR SO AS PART OF THEIR DATA LOG, SO 79% TO 76 PERCENT. THAT’S A SMALL DIFFERENCE, BUT IT’S WHAT WE WANT IS ACCURACY AND THE 100% AGAINST SEVERE HOSPITALIZATIONS ICU ADMISSIONS DEATHS. THAT’S GREAT. I DO THINK THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE. I DO THINK THIS IS A SAFE VACCINE NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FDA AND THE CDC TO AGREE ON THAT AS WELL. I WANT TO THAT AND DR. ELLERIN ASTRAZENECA SAYS IT DOES PLAN TO SUBMIT THAT APPLICATION TO THE FDA NEXT MONTH REQUESTING THE EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION. DO WE NEED A FOURTH VAC? CAN WE VACCINATED EVERYONE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS? WE ALREADY HAVE DO WE REALLY NEED THIS APPROVAL? ERICA WE REALLY DO AND I’M GOING TO TELL YOU WHY IT MAY BE THAT THREE VACCINES ARE ENOUGH TO VACCINATE THE UNITED STATES, BUT THE UNITED STATES HAS TO BE PART OF A GLOBAL VACCINATION CAMPAIGN AND THEY ARE AS FAR AS KOVACS. SO WE ALSO HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE OUR VACCINES TO AROUND THE WORLD BECAUSE REMEMBER AS YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN ONE PART OF THE WORLD CAN AFFECT ALL OF US. BUT WE’RE APPROVING THAT HERE. SO HOW DOES THAT IMPACT US? WELL, THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY OF US WILL RECEIVE THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN THAT’S WILL BE PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION CAMPAIGN. ANNOUNCED TODAY ABOUT THE STATE’S FIXING SUPPLY AND EXTRA 40,000 DOSES OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON. NOBODY EXPECTED THAT. SO WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ABOUT DISTRIBUTING THESE VACCINES BEFORE OUR SUPPLY BECOMES AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE IN THREE WEEKS FROM NOW. SO OF COURSE, THIS IS GOOD NEWS, RIGHT RIGHT NUMBER JOHNSTON JOHNSON VACCINE. IT’S ONLY A SINGLE DOSE AND ONLY REQUIRES REFRIGERATION. SO WE’VE ALREADY HEARD THAT GOVERNOR BAKER AND HIS TEAM WANTS TO GIVE ABOUT 25,000 DOSES TO HOUSEBOUND PEOPLE PEOPLE WHO ARE SO INFIRM THAT THEY CAN’T LEAVE. HOMES, I THINK THAT’S WONDERFUL. OKAY, THE OTHER PART IS WE WILL I THINK THEY SHOULD BE PART OF OUR EQUITY CAMPAIGN. SO IDEALLY WE WOULD TRY TO GET THIS VACCINE TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN’T COME TO THE LARGER MASS, YOU KNOW CLINICS AND BY DOING SO GETTING SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT HAVE DISPROPORTIONATELY LESS VACCINES THAN OTHERS. YEAH, MAYBE MOBILE VACCINATION AND FINALLY WE WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS INTERNATIONAL STORY GOT OUR ATTENTION. INDIA HAS NOW IDENTIFIED A NEW DOUBLE MUTANT VARIANT OF THE VIRUS SO FIRST, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND COULD IT BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THESE OTHER VARIANTS WE’VE HEARD ABOUT RIGHT. SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS DOUBLE MUTANT IS NOT REALLY A SCIENTIFIC TERM IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE 117 THE THREE FIVE ONE THE P1 THOSE ALL HAVE MULTIPLE MUTANTS AND MORE THAN TWO BY THE WAY, SO I THINK THE KEY HERE IS THAT THERE ARE VARIANTS IN INDIA, INDIA’S HAVING ABOUT 55,000 CASES A DAY. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE HAVING ANOTHER SPIKE THE KEY IS THAT WE HAVE TO DECREASE TRANSMISSION. SO JUST LIKE WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT IN THE UNITED STATES WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN OUR ON OUR INFECTION PREVENTION MEASURES AND WE HAVE TO VACCINATE WHICH IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT REALLY IS STILL A RACE BETWEEN VARIANCE AND VACCINES. DO YOU THINK THAT’S A RACE WE CAN WIN? I DO THINK THAT I DO THINK THAT THE VIRUS HAS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE COVID-19 A LESS SEVERE DISEASE. SO ULTIMATELY I DO THINK WE’RE GOING TO WIN. THAT DOESN’T MEAN I THINK WE’RE GOING TO ERADICATE COVID-19 COMPLETELY. I KNOW I PUT YOU ON THE SPOT WHERE THAT ONE, BUT I I LIKED YOUR ANSWER SO GOOD. THAT WAS GOOD. I’M SORRY TO DO THAT TO YOU DR. TODD ELLEN DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES THAT SELLS YOUR HEALTH BE WELL GREAT T
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American on participating in AstraZeneca trial: 'It was important for me to do what I could to help'

Vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the US
Erin Guy
Anchor
Rich Anderson has been fully vaccinated by a COVID-19 vaccine that has not yet been authorized for use in the United States.Related video above: Doctor explains why AstraZeneca vaccine is important to combat COVID-19Anderson saw an advertisement looking for volunteers to participate in the AstraZeneca vaccine, so he signed up."I thought it was important for me to do what I could to help," Anderson said. "I thought this was the easiest and quickest way to do my part."After a series of tests, he got his first shot in December."My shoulder was sore for probably a good two weeks," recalled Anderson."The second shot I got in January was just like a flu shot, my shoulder was sore for that day. Other than that, no effects," Anderson said.Anderson thought he got the placebo, but he found out he had actually been fully vaccinated.The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been authorized for use in the United States and has been halted in several countries over blood clot concerns. We reached out to the drugmaker to ask where the trial stands in the United States and they said, "We don’t have specific timing to share on emergency use authorization (EUA) filing, but can confirm that AstraZeneca is progressing on preparation of the submission to the FDA for EUA. "As for Anderson, the pandemic forced his daughter’s wedding to their backyard and his youngest daughter missed her high school graduation. The hardest part of the pandemic was losing his wife's grandmother, who was in a nursing home by herself. She died from COVID-19.Anderson said the pause of the vaccine around the world does not concern him."I just want to encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as possible so we can get back to our normal lives," Anderson said.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —

Rich Anderson has been fully vaccinated by a COVID-19 vaccine that has not yet been authorized for use in the United States.

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Related video above: Doctor explains why AstraZeneca vaccine is important to combat COVID-19

Anderson saw an advertisement looking for volunteers to participate in the AstraZeneca vaccine, so he signed up.

"I thought it was important for me to do what I could to help," Anderson said. "I thought this was the easiest and quickest way to do my part."

After a series of tests, he got his first shot in December.

"My shoulder was sore for probably a good two weeks," recalled Anderson.

"The second shot I got in January was just like a flu shot, my shoulder was sore for that day. Other than that, no effects," Anderson said.

Anderson thought he got the placebo, but he found out he had actually been fully vaccinated.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been authorized for use in the United States and has been halted in several countries over blood clot concerns.

We reached out to the drugmaker to ask where the trial stands in the United States and they said, "We don’t have specific timing to share on emergency use authorization (EUA) filing, but can confirm that AstraZeneca is progressing on preparation of the submission to the FDA for EUA. "

As for Anderson, the pandemic forced his daughter’s wedding to their backyard and his youngest daughter missed her high school graduation.

The hardest part of the pandemic was losing his wife's grandmother, who was in a nursing home by herself. She died from COVID-19.

Anderson said the pause of the vaccine around the world does not concern him.

"I just want to encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as possible so we can get back to our normal lives," Anderson said.