1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Laura Carlson. It's day three hundred 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: and fourteen since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Today's 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: main story. One of the many reasons for the slow 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: vaccine rolled out in the US is a lack of 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: places to get a shot. The federal government wants to 6 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: press the country's corner drug stores into service, and if 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: it works, it could change everything. But first, here's what 8 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: happened in virus news today. President Joe Biden warned the 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: nation to prepare for its darkest days in the year 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: long pandemic. The President said today that as many as 11 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand more Americans will likely die over the 12 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: next month as he overhauls the federal coronavirus response and 13 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: presses Congress for more aid. Biden spent the day sinning 14 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: executive actions to boost food assistance and provide other relief 15 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: for millions who are suffering financially. But his vow to 16 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: reopen most US schools in his first one days could 17 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: reignite clashes over how to safely return when many teachers 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: haven't received the vaccine. In the United Kingdom, the coronavirus 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: pandemic may no longer be spreading exponentially. That's according to 20 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: government data, and suggests the country's third lockdown is working still. 21 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: The government said the case rates remain dangerously high and 22 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: urged the public to keep to lockdown rules. Finally, despite 23 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: a scare from Norway, the World Health Organization said it 24 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: sees no evidence that the Fiser vaccine contributed to the 25 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: deaths of elderly people in the country. The w h 26 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: O urged that the shot still be used. In a statement, 27 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: the w h O Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety 28 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: said that reports of deaths are in line with what 29 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: is expected among quote frail elderly individuals end quote, and 30 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: that the risk benefit balance of the vaccine still falls 31 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: in favor of administering it to the elderly. And now, 32 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: for today's main story, vaccines from Fiser, MODERNA and others 33 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: will have the power to one day and the pandemic, 34 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: or at least to tame it, but only after seventy 35 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: or more of the world's population gets inoculated against COVID nineteen. 36 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: So far, the rollout has been anything but smooth. Big 37 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: drug stores say they're ready to come to the rescue. 38 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: I spoke to reporters Robert Langrith and Angelica Levito about 39 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: the potentially massive vaccine infrastructure that the neighborhood pharmacy could provide. 40 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: The US vaccine rollout has gotten off too. I think 41 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: it's fair to say a slow start. Um. Now, football stadiums, 42 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: even Disneyland have been turned into vaccination sites. But I'm 43 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: wondering what role does the corner drug store, like say 44 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: CBS or Walgreens, what role does it have in getting 45 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: America's vaccine plan back on track. Yeah, so, basically because 46 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: the initial vaccination campaign has gotten off to a slow 47 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: start UH and sluggish startings behind the schedule of what 48 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: we need where we need to need it to be. 49 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: We need more vaccination sites, just as many as possible. 50 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: And what the corner drug store offers, including big places 51 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: like CVS and Walgreens, drug stores at grocery stores and 52 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: big box stores like Walmart, as well as true men, 53 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: mom and pop independent chains, what those offer are lots 54 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: and lots of locations are just everywhere. CVS has thousand locations, 55 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: Wall Beans is over at nine thousand alone, and there's 56 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: a total of forty UH chain drugsters in the US 57 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: and another twenty thousand or so mom and pop one. 58 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: So what these offer are places where all sorts of 59 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: people around the country can get vaccines and just more places, 60 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: more outlets to get vaccines. And they're ready and willing 61 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: to go and this could start happening as soon as February. 62 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: And so let's let's break into some of their preparations. 63 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: I mean, what have the big chains, you know, you 64 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: mentioned CVS and Walgreens, UM, what have they been doing 65 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: to prepare for their role in the vaccination plan. So, 66 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,559 Speaker 1: pharmacies really first started their vaccination efforts about ten years 67 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: ago when they were involved with the H one and 68 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: one rollout, back when we were in a similar situation 69 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: trying to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. 70 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: And in the ten years since, they have really invested 71 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: a lot of time in their efforts. So they've been 72 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: trying to boot their I T systems and just their workflow. 73 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: And so now they're plugging that in UM into this 74 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: current effort and they are tweaking it for COVID specifically, 75 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,679 Speaker 1: because this is a little unique in that we're trying 76 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: to vaccinate people really quickly, but you don't want to 77 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: have hundreds of people lined up in your drug store. 78 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: So this past flu season they tinkered with their schedules 79 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: and had people actually make appointments ahead of time so 80 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: that you could space people out and make sure you 81 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: didn't have you know, two people all coming in at 82 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: once for their flu shot. And so they'll use that 83 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: same system now to get ready, have people come in 84 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: UM one by one and try to space people out. 85 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: They're also, of course trying to teach people about the 86 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: specific vaccines. There's a lot of misinformation out there, and 87 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: so UM just trying to get out ahead of that. 88 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: They Change They say that in theory they're capable of 89 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: doing thirty million patients a month giving vaccines at their locations. 90 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: And there are some estimates that if you can buy 91 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: all the change stores together, all the different change and 92 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: grocery store chains, that theoretically they could give up to 93 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: a hundred million doses a month, which would well exceed 94 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: Biden's target of a hundred million doses in a hundred days. Now, 95 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: what chains like CVS and Walgreens are doing to prepare, 96 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: you know, first of all other training lots of pharmacy 97 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: technicians uh in giving the shots. CVS I think has 98 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: trained twelve thousand pharmacy technicians and counting. They're hiring new 99 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: people to help with the COVID nineteen response, you know, 100 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: both for testing and for now for vaccines, and they're 101 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: preparing like places for it to be done. Lots of 102 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: Walgreens and CVS outlets already have exam rooms. CVS is 103 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: ave stores with minute clinics in them, which are little clinics, 104 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: there's exam rooms there. And in other places they're taking 105 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: advantage of things like old unused photo labs, the dressing 106 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: rooms that are not being used now in target stores 107 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: where CBS operates, the pharmacies, they're they're taking advantage of 108 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: as many places they can two administrative vaccines and just 109 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: gearing up for what's likely to be a very big rollout. Now. 110 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: As far as as the rollout and in particular the 111 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: timeline for this, I mean, when really were drug stores 112 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: anticipating to come to the four as it were in 113 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: in the vaccine rollout program within the US, I mean, 114 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: has there been any change to when they're expecting to 115 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: really start becoming um almost say, the front line for 116 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: distributing vaccines to Americans. So the pharmacies were scheduled to 117 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: start vaccinating people once we got into phase two, which 118 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: is really when the general public can start getting vaccinated. However, 119 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,119 Speaker 1: we're quickly seeing that change. We've only been vaccinating people 120 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: for a month, and already you have a number of 121 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: states um like Louisiana, for example, that they early in 122 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: January started turning to drug stores to help them because 123 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: they want to get in the communities. They're tapping independence 124 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: and chains because the independence tend to be in more 125 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: rural areas and can reach broader swaths of the population. 126 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: And now President Fighting is saying that they want to 127 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: get pharmacies involved in the next few weeks. And will 128 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: that be Will that mean that every single pharmacy in 129 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: America suddenly has vaccines available? No, of course not. We 130 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: don't have that many yet. But we are seeing this 131 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: acceleration because there has been um such a problem getting 132 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: shots into arms, and pharmacies offer another way to get 133 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: into the community and meet people where they are. A 134 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: lot of news has been around the difficulty in transporting 135 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: and storing some of these vaccines. Does this impact the 136 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: drug stores at all in terms of their need to 137 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: have some of these facilities, say the very cold freezers 138 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: and whatnot in order to be able to to store 139 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: these vaccines. I actually talked to CVS about this and 140 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,599 Speaker 1: they said that it's the Fiser vaccine that needs the 141 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: super alto cold storage, and Fiser has designed special dry 142 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: ice containers that can keep in storage, you know, for 143 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: a number of we and CVS and said that in 144 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: their work on distributing the vaccine to nursing homes that 145 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: they've been able to so far successful use these dry 146 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: ice containers that Fiser has and that that hasn't been 147 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: a problem. So they are not anticipating that the super 148 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: could storage requirements needed in particular for the Fiser vaccine 149 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: is going to be a massive problem. They think they 150 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: can handle that. And one other thing I wanted to 151 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: mention was that, you know, just because the big pharmacy 152 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: change are expressing a great confidence, you know, we shouldn't 153 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: necessarily expect miracles for them from them, or you know, 154 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: think that this is going to somehow obviate the need 155 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: for big mass of vaccination sites and vaccination sites and 156 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: stadiums and gymnasiums and community centers. We all still definitely 157 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: need those. And the Big Change CVS and Walgrains, they 158 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: were to have a primary contract to help distribute in 159 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: many states to nursing homes, and they face a criticize 160 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: criticism from some local officials on your why that hasn't 161 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: gone faster. So, you know, we shouldn't expect just because 162 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: they say they're prepared, that that it will produce some 163 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,559 Speaker 1: miraculous turnaround. It's just that, you know, every of additional 164 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: capacity will help, and pharmacies and a lot of capacity. 165 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: Over the weekend, I walked into a CBS store and 166 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: it was interesting seeing in real life um sort of 167 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: the difference because when you talk to the pharmacy executives, 168 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: they say that they have these wonderful systems to keep 169 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 1: people sticking to the schedule and only there when they're 170 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: supposed to be there. But when you walk in in 171 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: the vestibule, there were probably ten different signs saying that 172 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 1: this particular location did not have the COVID nineteen vaccine. 173 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: So you have to wonder what will happen when word 174 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: gets out that that location does have the vaccine, and 175 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 1: can you really manage expectations. You know, there's also the 176 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: question of financial motivation. What is the incentive for these 177 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: big chains or even the mom and pop stores to 178 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: be involved with the vaccination rollout, So pharmacies and other 179 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: places that provide provide the vaccine, you know, do have 180 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: an incentive for getting it out there to as many 181 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: people as possible. While there is no payment for the 182 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,719 Speaker 1: vaccine itself, providers administrantor you know, we'll get paid for 183 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: the administration of the vaccine, and the federal medical program 184 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: that covers the older people is paying about seventeen dollars 185 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: to the first dose and a little over twenty eight 186 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: dollars to the second dose. Also, there's definitely in financial 187 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: incentive for pharmacies to push through as many people as possible. 188 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: And the good news is that there's a financial centers 189 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: that make sure that people all got the second dose 190 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: because they're paid more for the second dose. And one 191 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 1: thing too, that um that has come up. So CBS 192 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: of course has been investing very heavily in expanding its 193 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: testing capabilities and one things that one thing that executives 194 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: talk about when they, you know, address how that has performed, 195 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: is that they're finding that they're reaching many more people 196 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: than usual. So of course they're testing people and they're 197 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: doing a public health service, but they're also benefiting because 198 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: they're getting people that have never walked into a CBS, 199 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: or maybe they have it in five or so years, 200 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: and now suddenly they're attached to the system. They know 201 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 1: that CBS is there and they might think of them 202 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: for future health services. That was Robert Langreth and Angelica Levito, 203 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: and that's it for our show today. For coverage of 204 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: the outbreak from one and twenty bureaus around the world, 205 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: visit Bloomberg dot com slash Coronavirus and if you like 206 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: the show, please leave us a review and a rating 207 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the best way to 208 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: help more listeners find our global reporting. The Prognosis Daily 209 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: edition is produced by Topher foreheads Magnus Hendrickson and me 210 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: Laura Carlson. Today's main story was reported by Robert Langrath 211 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: and Angelica Levito. Original music by Leo Citrian. Our editors 212 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: are Rick Shine and Francesco Leave. Francesco Levi is Bloomberg's 213 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: head of podcasts. Thanks for listening.