1 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Laura Carlson. It's day two hundred 2 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: and seventy five since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 1: Today's main story. How do you roll out a vaccine 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: state by state to hundreds of millions of people in 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: the middle of a pandemic. You start with the flu shot. 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: But first, Here's what happened in Virus News today. The 7 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: first COVID nineteen vaccine shots were administered by US hospitals 8 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: on Monday. It's the initial step in a historic drive 9 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: to immunize millions of people as deaths in the US 10 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: approach the three hundred thousand mark. The first shot went 11 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: to critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay in New York, the 12 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: city that was once the epicenter of the pandemic. Hospitals 13 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: around the country went into overdrive this weekend preparing to 14 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: receive and administer the first doses of the vaccine. Shipments 15 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: started leaving Fiser's Michigan plant early on Sunday morning, less 16 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: than two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized 17 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 1: the vaccine for emergency use. They are scheduled to arrive 18 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: at hundreds of sites between today and Wednesday, Italy overtook 19 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: the UK as the European country with the highest number 20 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: of COVID nineteen deaths. The death toll puts pressure on 21 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti's government as it seeks to prevent 22 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: a flare up of the contagion during the holiday season. Finally, 23 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: Fightser and bio Antech may soon allow participants in its 24 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,559 Speaker 1: vaccine trial to learn whether they received a placebo rather 25 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: than the real thing, and get the actual shot if 26 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: they wish. In an emailed statement, Fizer said the option 27 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: would be voluntary and now for today's main story. As 28 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: the first shots of the COVID nineteen vaccines in the 29 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: US are administered, one of many big hurdles has yet 30 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: to be cleared. States must transport and distribute the massive 31 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: orders to the millions who need it. The state of 32 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: Louisiana has been thinking about this problem for months. In November, 33 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: they decided to test their vaccination strategy using the flu 34 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: vaccine for the first time. The state hosted drive through 35 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: clinics across all of its nine public health regions. These 36 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: were official exercises to practice vaccinating the state's nearly five 37 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: million residents in the era of Social Distancing Angelica Levito, 38 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: went to Shreveport, Louisiana, as the project was unfolding to 39 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: find out what a mass vaccination looks like during a pandemic. 40 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: I'm standing in the parking lot at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds. 41 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: Often the distance towards the outskirts of the grounds you 42 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: can see signs for pizza and corn dogs. It's about 43 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: eight o'clock in the morning, and local health workers have 44 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: already been here for hours setting up a drive through 45 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: flu shot clinic. To my left, we have the Health 46 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: Department workers who are getting organized. They were moving boxes 47 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: earlier filled with gloves, and then there's thermometers that they're 48 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: going to be handing out to people in line. Over here, 49 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: the National Guard setting up tents. They're in uniform. Everybody's 50 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: wearing a mask. The Health Department is hosting similar scenes 51 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: across the state this fall. These are to practice how 52 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: the state might administer COVID nineteen vaccines when they become available. 53 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: It's the first time the city of Shreveport has offered 54 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: drive through vaccinations. It's also the largest vaccine event the 55 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: area has ever hosted. Nurses are ready to give up 56 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: to one thousand five shots. Dr Martha White overseas the operation. 57 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: She leads the regional Health office. Today, she whizzes around 58 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: the parking lot, checking in with her nurses, the National Guard, 59 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: and the police officers patrolling the area. It's nine oh one. 60 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: We have our first few cars coming through. The nurses 61 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: are preparing the shot. They're working together taking out the vial. 62 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: Because these are not individual doses, they have to actually 63 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: take out with a syringe of free set amount. And 64 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: here we go. Here comes another nurse and she is 65 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: sticking the man's arm with a shot and rolls down 66 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: his sleeve. He puts the car in gear and now 67 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: he's on his way. This scene almost makes the operation 68 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: look easy, but it's only a preview of a far 69 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: more complex effort ahead. The United States will soon start 70 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: its largest mass vaccination campaign in modern history. The goal 71 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: is to immunize as many Americans as possible against COVID nineteen. 72 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: The challenges are almost endless. The vaccines themselves are delicate. 73 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: They have to be up at specific temperatures in order 74 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: to be effective. Then doctors and pharmacists will need to 75 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: make sure people come back for their second shot, and 76 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: they will need to vaccinate millions of people. In the 77 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: era of social distancing, vaccines could help end a pandemic 78 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: that has killed about three hundred thousand Americans and ravaged 79 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: the economy. Both effects can be felt here in Louisiana. 80 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: The state has a high number of infections and deaths. 81 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: As a percent of its population, About two hundred seventy 82 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: thousand people have fallen ill about seven thousand have died. 83 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: Downtown Shreveport is empty these days. Government employees are working 84 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: from home. Signs outside coffee shops ask patrons to wear masks. 85 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: Some slot machines at the casinos along the riverfront are 86 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: turned off to allow for social distancing. Shreveport Mayor Adrian 87 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: Perkins says the city's economy has been devastated. One large 88 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: casino in the area is already out of business, and 89 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: our casino is here locally have been hit very, very 90 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: hard as well with the revenue short tenses. When they 91 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: close the casinos and now when they opened them, they 92 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: still can only have so much capacity, so their revenue 93 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: is down and that impacts the city's budget because the 94 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: city get revenue directly from the casinos and NINA Prose fund, 95 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: so the city budget has been hit quite hard as well. 96 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: Controlling the virus offers the only way forward for Shreeve 97 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: Sport and communities across the country, but not everybody wants 98 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: to comply with measures to stop the spread. Some people 99 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: do not believe the virus is real. Dr White can 100 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: tell you it's very real. Her husband was on a 101 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: ventilator for two months, nearly dying multiple times. She has 102 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: reviewed every coronavirus JET certificate in the region, Yet every 103 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: day she fights with people who called a pandemic hoax. 104 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: She pleads with people who were exposed to the virus 105 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: to quarantine. She begs others to simply wear a mask. 106 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: Someone compared her to the Soviet unions Joseph Stalin. She 107 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: blames it on COVID becoming so politicized. She says the 108 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: divide has made her job much harder. If people are 109 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: happy with the restrictions and they aren't happy with, you know, 110 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: having to isolate or quarantine, and so you have to 111 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 1: sometimes tell people things I don't want to hear. But 112 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: all I can do is tell them what this viruses 113 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: and what it's gonna do and what they need to 114 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: do in response. And it's really much Dr White's work 115 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: won't get any easier once COVID vaccines become available. She 116 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: will need to tell people to trust the science. A 117 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: lot of people already don't ad in skepticism from minority 118 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: communities who have been hit especially hard by the virus, 119 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: and you have quite the challenge. There's definitely vaccine hesitancy, 120 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: but there's vaccine hesitancy all the time. And then now 121 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: that you've got this new vaccine, some people are like, 122 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: I think I'm gonna wait and see, and um, I 123 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: think that there's also all these conspiracy theories, and so 124 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 1: you know, if you can get back down to the 125 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: science of it um and talk to them about all 126 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: the research and the fact that most of these vaccines 127 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: started in preparation to stars and mergs, so there was 128 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: a base on It's not like it just they already 129 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: had a good strong base for the vaccine. So it 130 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: didn't happen overnight. It's not been rushed, you know. Actually 131 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: administering shots will also be hard. Drive throughs are good 132 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: way to space people out, but they also require a 133 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: lot of work to stand up. Back at the fairgrounds, 134 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: dozens of nurses are ready to give flu shots. Cars 135 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: trickle in more slowly than Dr White would like. Nurses 136 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: lounge and soccer chairs waiting for people to show up. 137 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: One nurse, don Leone, has seen the virus's deadly capabilities firsthand. 138 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: I think that people might not respect this barrow is 139 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: the way that we should. Leonie's family had been gathering 140 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: every Sunday to worship together. Somebody brought the virus one 141 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: weekend and infected the others. Nine relatives tested positive. Leonie's mother, father, 142 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: and husband were all hospitalized at the same time. Her 143 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: father died, Her mother and husband recovered. Her husband's still 144 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: experiences lingering effects like shortness of breadth. There's a real 145 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 1: struggle for families, and it's not just illness. It affects 146 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: other areas of our homes and our loves and um. 147 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: It will affect me for a long time to see 148 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: with us saw my dad went through. Vaccines could return 149 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: a sense of normalcy if enough people get one. That's 150 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: why Dr White's role is so important. Practicing now gives 151 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: her a chance to see what works. You know, the 152 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: flow has gone really well, so we like the way 153 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: it's set up, and I think it's we wouldn't have 154 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: a back up even we'd had to take a lot 155 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 1: of people for us to get behind, So that's good. 156 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: I think it's been a good walkthrough. I just wish 157 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: we had more people to tast it. The fairgrounds are 158 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: a good place to reach vulnerable residents. They are located 159 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: on the west side of town, home to Shreveport's black community. 160 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 1: Mayor Perkins says Shreveport is divided into two distinct sections. 161 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: Like most Southern cities, a bus route runs along the fairgrounds. 162 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: Dr White says in the future they could offer walk 163 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: up shots to accommodate residents who can't drive there on 164 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: their own. She also thinks about the best hours to 165 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: reach more workers. These are all elements to consider for 166 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: next time. The question is like this sustainability, So like 167 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: how long would you want to do it this way? 168 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: So would we do it once a week? Would you 169 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: do it, you know, for a full week and say, okay, 170 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: anybody who wants to come. That's what you'd have to 171 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: tweak in your head about, like what are what are 172 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: the other ways we're going to offer. By the end 173 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: of the day, only four hundred of the one thousand, 174 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,959 Speaker 1: five hundred shots are given out. Dr White wonders if 175 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: people already were vaccinated. Because it's now November. The CDC 176 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: had recommended getting a flu shot by the end of October. 177 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: Dr White will share the results from the flu shot 178 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: clinic with her boss, Dr Frank Welch. He leads the 179 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: state health departments immunization planning and he knows the importance 180 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: of thinking ahead. Louisiana has seen its share of hurricanes, floods, 181 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: and tornadoes. Is conducted as an official exercise. So um, 182 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: these things will be with everything. Things will go wrong, 183 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: will be shared with everyone, and we will do and 184 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: what we've falling after action report to say, you know, 185 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: these are the good things, these are the bad things. 186 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: Here's how we solve them. Here's if we didn't solve it, 187 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: and you know, sharing that with our entire state to 188 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: make sure that everyone gets the benefit of those Unlike 189 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: with coronavirus testing, the state has a luxury of months 190 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: to prepare. It will need every second it can get. 191 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: This campaign will be like no other. That was Angelica 192 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: Levito and that's it for our show today. For coverage 193 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: of the outbreak from one and twenty bureaus around the world, 194 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: visit bloomberg dot com, slash coronavirus and if you like 195 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: the show, please leave us a review and a rating 196 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the best way to 197 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: help more listeners find our global reporting. The Prognosis Daily 198 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: edition is produced by Tophor foreheads Jordan's Gaspoure, Magnus Hendrickson, 199 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: and me Laura Carlson. Today's main story was reported by 200 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: Angelica Levito. Original music by Leo Sidrin. Our editors are 201 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: Rick Shine and Francesco Levi. Francesco Levi is Bloomberg's head 202 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: of podcasts. Thanks for listening.