1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Laura Carlson. It's day two d 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Today's main story 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: as states struggle to piece together vaccine strategies without a 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: coordinating national plan, some have resorted to web based technology 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: for logistical support. The result they're lining up appointments using 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: software that's better suited for arranging volleyball meetups than a 7 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: historic public health campaign. But first, here's what happened in 8 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: virus News today. But Durnas COVID nineteen vaccine won the 9 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: backing of the drug regulator in the European Union. That 10 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: clears the way for a second weapon to stem the 11 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: viruses winter resurgence in Europe. EU leaders are facing growing 12 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: pressure to speed up clearance and deployment of vaccines as 13 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: cases surge across the continent. The Nation Block began immunizations 14 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: last week with the Fiser vaccine, but the pace of 15 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:23,839 Speaker 1: the rollout has been uneven. In England, more than one 16 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: million people now have coronavirus. That's according to UK Prime 17 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: Minister Boris Johnson, who unveiled official statistics from a government 18 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: report on Wednesday. Rocketing case rates from the new virus 19 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: strain mean one person in every fifty in England now 20 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: has the illness. In London the number is one in thirty. 21 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: Johnson vowed to speed up the government's vaccination program in 22 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: order to eventually lift the latest lockdown. Finally, experts advising 23 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: the world Help the Organization on Vaccine Policies recommended against 24 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: spreading the interval between two doses beyond twenty eight days. 25 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: That followed a move by the UK to extend the 26 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: period between shots to as much as twelve weeks in 27 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: an effort to maximize coverage. Alejandro Craviotto, chairman of the 28 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, said in a 29 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: statement that countries facing quote exceptional circumstances of vaccine supply 30 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: constraints end quote can delay the second dose for a 31 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: few weeks, but data on safety and efficacy after only 32 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: one dose is lacking. And now for today's main story. 33 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: It's the most massive vaccine rollout in US history, but 34 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: many local governments are lining up patient appointments using web 35 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: based services better known for handling birthday party r s, 36 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: vps and online yoga sessions. The patchwork of approaches to 37 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: coordinating vaccines means that several Florida counties have deployed event Right, 38 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: Some Oklahoma governments dabbled with sign Up Genius, and in 39 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: some areas, vaccine seekers are kept on hold for hours 40 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: on appointment hotlines, only to be disconnected. I spoke with 41 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: a Lease Young who reported on the technological solutions states 42 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: are turning to when coordinating through vaccine plans. Given the 43 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: shaky rollout of the COVID nineteen vaccines in the US, 44 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: some areas have taken to let's call them unconventional means 45 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: of allocating appointments for receiving the vaccine. I was wondering 46 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: if you could just tell us a bit about some 47 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: of these methods. It's been interesting across the country. Some 48 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,839 Speaker 1: local governments have chosen to run their own portal UH, 49 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: usually in conjunction with their COVID information page. Some states 50 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: have left it up to counties to take care of themselves, 51 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:21,799 Speaker 1: and counties have then turned to such services as event 52 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: Bright or sign Up Genius, which people more typically use 53 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: for things such as pot luck dinners, car pools, these 54 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: sort of things that you know a community would use, 55 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: and you know what what has led really to to 56 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: you know, say, either health systems, local governments adopting these 57 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: these shall we say, as you said, more social platforms 58 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: for signing up for vaccines. Well, it's odd because state 59 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: governments largely haven't given too much information to people on 60 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: which service to use. For instance, New Jersey has a 61 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: vaccination sign up page of its own uh and then uh, 62 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: and that went live yesterday and then it started to crash, 63 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: um and then UH. Counties have their own sign up 64 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: systems and their own vaccination sites. But we were really 65 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: not sure if you're a person who's seeking a vaccine, 66 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 1: even if you're in that first group. Well, do I 67 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: use the state service? Do I use event right, do 68 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: I use that the county service? Or do I call 69 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: a hotline. I spoke to one woman who's eighty four 70 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: year old father lives in Chattanooga, in Tennessee, and he 71 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: learned that there was no sign up required, just show up. 72 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 1: And he did and he waited in line for I 73 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: believe she said six hours. His car was twelve from 74 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: the front when they were told they had run out 75 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 1: of vaccine. Uh. This is a gentleman who has a 76 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: heart and lung condition and who was relying on supplemental oxygen, 77 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: and he was so fed up he told his daughter, 78 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: I'm not going back. I'm not doing this. I'm just 79 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: going to wait until my doctor has the vaccine and 80 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 1: that's where I'm going. And is this perhaps a result 81 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: that there is just so much demand an interest for 82 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: these vaccines that they are causing these, say more established 83 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: or more state run systems to crash. I must say 84 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: it's puzzling because governments, state and local governments have had many, 85 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: many months heads up that a vaccine was on the way, 86 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,679 Speaker 1: and it was easy for them to say and understandable 87 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: for them to say early on with the testing effort 88 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: that was falling apart, we've never had anything like this. 89 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: Agents are scarce, there's uh, there's only so many laboratories 90 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: that can process this stuff. And I think people understood that. 91 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: They weren't happy with it, but they understood it. In 92 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: this case, six months ago we knew about Operation Warp 93 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: Speed and here comes a vaccine. And just the other 94 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: day in New Jersey, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was saying, 95 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: while the rollout has been on the slower side because 96 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: we don't have the personnel to do the inoculations, so 97 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: we're asking retirees to medical retirees to come in and 98 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: do these inoculations. Well, did you or did you not 99 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: know that vaccines were on the way? Why are we 100 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: waiting now while we have this stuff in stock and 101 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: ready to go, Why are we waiting now to ask 102 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: folks to come forward and help out? In your opinion, 103 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: do you think that this perhaps is a result of 104 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: the rollout being pushed more to the state level rather 105 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: than a a larger federal oversight of this rollout program. 106 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: In the state's defense, they've never done anything like this before, UM, 107 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: and also they there's been a clear leadership vacuum at 108 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: the federal level. At the same time, some people are asking, well, 109 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: where is the Federal Emergency Management Agency on this? It's 110 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: helped in hurricanes, natural disasters of all kinds, and there's 111 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: been no sign of a FEMA presence for at least 112 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: that I'm aware of, for vaccinations. Earlier this year, they 113 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: were in hard hit states like New York and New 114 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: Jersey setting up mobile hospitals UM that were used by 115 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: by folks who were, you know, coming out of hospital 116 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: care and not quite ready to go home. And it 117 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: seems that FEMA has the expertise for something like this, 118 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: even the military, but state governments are kind of throwing 119 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: up their hands and saying there's no playbook for this. 120 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: And you you mentioned some of the some of the 121 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: platforms that the states are turning to like event right. 122 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: Has there been any mention of potential security concerns in 123 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: using platforms like this that weren't necessarily meant for, say, 124 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: distributions of vaccines. Well, this is another question that we 125 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: reporters have and have asked event right and sign Up 126 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: Genius and similar services, and they haven't gotten back to us. Uh. 127 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: My colleague tried multiple times. So we really don't know 128 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: what kinds of information they're collecting, who has access to it, 129 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: whether folks are being asked to say, disclose um medical conditions. 130 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 1: And the same goes for the state based electronic sites. 131 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: How much information do I have to give exactly? And 132 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: can any state employee take a look at at my 133 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: file and learn what medications I'm using? Uh, there is 134 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: a hippo component here, and we're not certain whether these 135 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: sites comply about these sites as far as you know, 136 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: the companies behind them, what is their perspective or what 137 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: has their reaction been to their sites being used in 138 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: this fairly unconventional way that they may not have foreseen 139 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: a year ago. Some of the sites are actively courting 140 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: the vaccination effort. They're putting out posts that say, if 141 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: you have vaccinations to give, here's how we can be 142 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: of service to you. Are others kind of pushing back 143 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 1: and and are not perhaps welcoming this, this use of 144 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: their platform. Not that I'm aware of, the state of Oklahoma, 145 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: though early on was a an adopter of one of 146 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: these online UH sites, and and then a few days 147 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: later they announced without explanation that they were not going 148 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: to use one of these sites, that they had their 149 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: own portal set up. And I don't know why that is. 150 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: I don't know why they have abandoned that, if it's statewide, 151 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: if it's just county by county. Governments haven't really been 152 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: forthcoming with information on this. I mean, looking ahead, you know, 153 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: we're in the very early days of vaccine distribution in 154 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: the US. I mean, can we perhaps hopefully see these 155 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: as essentially early growing pains as governments confront this immense 156 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: logistical challenge UM going forward, do we think that there 157 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: will be an increased reliance on these types of sites, 158 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: or do you think that the overwhelmed um, say state 159 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: runs systems, websites, etcetera, are going to be able to 160 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: kind of meet this surge. And and this really is 161 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: a small hiccup in the road of vaccine distribution. I'm 162 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: not sure whether this is a hiccup. Certainly part of 163 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: the problem is that one of the vaccines must be 164 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: kept super cold, so you do have an issue of 165 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 1: you have to direct people to a site where that 166 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: sort of vaccine can be accommodated. But I wonder if 167 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: maybe these sign ups are really a solution in search 168 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: of a problem. If you tell folks if their last 169 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: names start with A, B and C, to show up 170 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: at this site on such and such a date, and 171 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: everybody line up, it could be as simple as that, 172 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,559 Speaker 1: we've all gotten a flu shot, right, We've all gone 173 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: to our national chain pharmacy or a doctor's office, and 174 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: you're in and out, and if it's too crowded, you 175 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: go back at a different time. I'm not really sure 176 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: how this appointment system is going to work. What happens 177 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: if a whole bunch of people don't show up for 178 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: whatever reason, whether or they just skip the appointment, and 179 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: now we have a lot of this sensitive vaccine that 180 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 1: must be put into in an arm very soon after thought, 181 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: what do we have a lot of that lying around? 182 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 1: I don't know what becomes of it. That was a 183 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: lease Young, and that's it for our show today. For 184 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: coverage of the outbreak from one bureaus around the world, 185 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: visit bloomberg dot com slash coronavirus and if you like 186 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: the show, please leave us a review and a rating 187 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the best way to 188 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: help more listeners find our global reporting. The Prognosis Daily 189 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: edition is produced by Topher foreheads Magnus Hendrickson and me 190 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: Laura Carlson. Today's main story was reported by Elise Young. 191 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: Original music by Leo Sidrin. Our editors are Rick Shine 192 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: and Francesca Levi. Francesco Levi is Bloomberg's head of podcasts. 193 00:13:49,440 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, Tol