Dr. Luciana “Lu” Borio is a medical doctor and infectious disease expert who has dedicated her career to preparing for epidemics. Lu is a leading source of insight on COVID-19, and specializes in emerging infectious diseases, complex public health, emergencies, and bio defense. She is a highly sought-after advisor on these issues, and also served as the Acting Chief Scientist for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). President Biden named Lu as one of the 13 members of his COVID-19 Advisory Board, and today she joins Patrina to discuss in detail the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy, and the importance of increasing vaccination access globally.
Lu breaks down the different types of vaccine hesitancy groups, debunks the most common misconceptions held by COVID skeptics, such as insufficient safety trials and fertility concerns, and explains that the greatest risk lies in not being vaccinated at all. Patrina asks Lu about variants and mutations of the virus, current travel advisories, and how to approach loved ones or colleagues who may be skeptical about getting the vaccine. Lu clarifies that even those who have recovered from COVID should still get vaccinated, as they could still become infected with new variants. She talks about what we have learned about COVID since the beginning of the pandemic, being intentional about which risks you decide to take, and protecting your physical health so that you can live your most fulfilled life in every other aspect. Finally, Lu and Patrina both share what is bringing them joy presently, and what they are most looking forward to as the nation continues on this positive trajectory in the fight against COVID.
Luciana (Lu) is an infectious disease physician and public health administrator who has dedicated her career to preparing for epidemicsPatrina and Lu are good friends, and Lu persuaded Patrina from taking a family trip to New York City right as the pandemic was beginning, and very likely saved her lifePresident Biden’s goal is to have 70% of adults vaccinated for COVID-19 by July 4Currently, at least 62% of adults over 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccineImportant to keep this in perspective, rather than focusing entirely on vaccine hesitancyVaccines are safe, effective, and have been thoroughly testedLu is hopeful about where the US currently stands in terms of vaccinationsBiggest challenge now is to scale production so that the rest of the world can benefit from them as wellVaccine hesitancy should not overshadow that most people are taking the important step to get vaccinated and help save livesLu reiterates just how safe the vaccine is, and reminds listeners that the technology behind it has been in development for more than 20 yearsThe fact that people feel anxious is understandable, but instead of dismissing people who are hesitant, we should focus on how to positively shift their positionHarvard study broke down main “hesitancy” groupsWatchful (80%) - Simply can’t afford to take time off work or leave their children with someone to get vaccinated, even if it’s freeSystem Destructors (4%) - Do not feel the healthcare system has their best interest at heart and question what strings are attached (largely in Black communities)COVID Skeptics (14%) - Don’t believe COVID is a real problem to begin with, they want to have full autonomy over decision-making, very difficult to influenceDoctors and healthcare professionals are not immune from being COVID skeptics, and people go to these practitioners to reinforce their hesitancyLu’s advice is to try to understand the misconceptions of COVID skepticsDebunks beliefs that vaccine had insufficient safety trials and negatively impacts fertilityVaccine meets and exceeds FDA safety standardsThe real risk lies in not being vaccinatedVaccines based in the US are holding up well against new variants and mutationsMore important than ever to increase glocal vaccination access so that we can stay ahead of variantsTravel advisories and having to decide whether a domestic trip is worth the riskVery important for everyone to get vaccinated, even those who have recovered from COVIDVaccines are a very easy way to protect your physical health so that you can enjoy a high quality of life in other areasThey aren’t a 100% guarantee, but they very close, and are far superior to the alternativeRisk bank and risk credit New York’s Excelsior Pass, which provides digital proof of COVID vaccine or negative test result before entering a public spaceLu and Patrina share what is bringing them joy, and what they are looking forward to“It's incredible, the accomplishment that this administration, the American people, have come together to really roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated.”
“As of today, we have 62% of people over 18 that have received at least one dose of this vaccine.”
“I'm very hopeful. I think that we are in a really great place right now in the US. I can't say the same for the rest of the world. Because, you know, clearly we don't have enough vaccines today to be able to go around. And most of the world has no access to the types of vaccines that were developed here in the US.”
“Our vaccines are safe, they're effective, they've been thoroughly evaluated, in very rigorous clinical studies, thanks to the FDA.”
“As global citizens, we definitely have a responsibility for the global community.”
“I think it's very normal for people to be a little bit anxious early on, because after all, these are new technologies. And well, the truth is that they've been in development for many, many years. So that didn't happen just in the last year. And these technologies have been in development for more than 20 years.”
“It's very natural, to be careful to… Is this something that is going to help me and my family and my community? And of course, the answer now is yes.”
“It’s not just one group of hesitance.”
“If you put aside the COVID skeptics, which really distrust authority and all that, there's a lot of room, a lot of opportunity to inform the Wait-And-See programs to impact the cost anxious, and also programs to help the System Destructors who really need to be led at the community level.”
“That's why [COVID skeptics] are so challenging, because they don't even think it's a problem to begin with.”
“The problem, of course, is a lot of doctors who practice in those areas are also COVID skeptics, which is a fascinating thing to me - that you have health care practitioners who went to medical school and know the science, and they're not immune from being COVID skeptics.”
“There's a lot of people that have been vaccinated more than six months ago, and actually tens of millions have been vaccinated. So this idea that the vaccines - they were rushed, and all that, doesn’t really hold water anymore.”
“There's no basis for that whatsoever. There's no real plausible way that those vaccines would alter fertility. But COVID - being sick, being seriously ill, can.”
“We have to explain where the real risk is, which is not to be vaccinated.”
“Thankfully, for the vaccines that we have in the US, they are holding up pretty well, including against the variants.”
“I feel very comfortable right now, myself, traveling domestically. The rates of the disease are so low.”
“The protection afforded by the vaccine is much higher than the protection afforded by natural infection.”
“It's just not right to be potentially infecting people with something that, even though it's not harming me, it could be a matter of life or death for somebody else.”
“It's not 100%. But there aren't a lot of things in life that do offer 100% guarantees, but it's pretty close. And as you pointed out, it certainly beats the alternative, which is getting sick and risking having to be on a ventilator and in the hospital, and your family members can only come and visit you maybe one at a time if they're lucky.”
“You could view every time you wear your mask out, you're putting a deposit in the risk bank.”
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