[Vaccine Virtual Town Hall ]
[00:00:09]
HELLO AND GOOD EVENING.WELCOME TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH VACCINE TOWN HALL, WHERE WE'LL DISCUSS COMMUNITY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS RELATED TO COVID-19 VACCINE SAFETY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND DISTRIBUTION.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US HERE ON ATX N AND FACEBOOK LIVE, AS YOU NO DOUBT KNOW, WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS.
COVID JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF UPDATED STATISTICS.
WE HAVE OVER 58,000 COVID-19 CASES IN THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA WITH SOME 607 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED A HUNDRED IN ICU.
OUR NEW CASES TODAY ARE IN THE SEVEN HUNDREDS.
AND SO WE ARE CERTAINLY IN A VERY DIFFICULT PERIOD OF THIS VIRUS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE PLENTY OF SIGNS OF HOPE, INCLUDING THE EMERGENCE AND THE INCREASING AVAILABILITY OF A VACCINE TONIGHT, WE WILL ENDEAVOR TO GET TO AS MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS VIA FACEBOOK LIVE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO GET TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN GET TO OVER THE COURSE OF THIS BROADCAST.
SO WE INVITE YOU TO TYPE THOSE QUESTIONS IN, AND WE WILL GET AS MANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THE GOAL OF TONIGHT REALLY IS TO MEET YOUR PARTICULAR NEEDS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF OUR FIGHT AGAINST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR PANELISTS, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO THANK ALL OF THEM.
THEY ARE WORKING DAY AND NIGHT AROUND THE CLOCK TO TRY TO GET OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THIS EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND TO EACH OF THEM.
OUR PANELISTS TONIGHT INCLUDE STEPHANIE HAYDEN, THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
MARK S. SCOTT, THE INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.
SCOTT, ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AS WELL.
HE'S THE VICE CHAIR OF THE CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD OF MANAGERS, DR.
JASON, RASHENBERG THE PRESIDENT OF ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP, TEXAS DOC RASHENBERG.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING PART OF OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.
AGAIN, WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON YOUR QUESTIONS, THE THINGS YOU MOST WANT TO UNDERSTAND, BUT BEFORE WE DO, WE WANTED TO GIVE OUR PANELISTS A CHANCE TO GIVE YOU SOME UPFRONT INFORMATION THAT MAY HELP ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU CAME TO US WITH TONIGHT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN IF I COULD, WITH STEPHANIE HAYDEN FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OVERVIEW INFORMATION TO PROVIDE FOR US AS WE GET UNDERWAY.
STEPHANIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, I'M WILLING TO SHARE, UM, SOME SLIDES THAT I'VE PREPARED WITH YOU.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME AND TALK ABOUT, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF, YOU KNOW, WHY YOU SHOULD RECEIVE THE VACCINE, BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, I MEAN, I'M SORRY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ALSO, SO, UM, JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY VACCINATION STRATEGY WITH, WITH OUR STRATEGY EIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A STRATEGY, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE, IT'S GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SECURE THE HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU WHO HAVE REALLY CURRENT THE EMPHASIS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE KEEPING US SAFE.
AND SO THE INITIAL VACCINES, UM, HAVE BEEN SLATED TO GO TO A GROUP CALLED ONE A, UM, THAT IS YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, UM, YOUR, UM, EMERGENCY, UM, MEDICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, AS WELL AS OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS AND STAFF IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, FOCUS ON REALLY SEVERE DISEASE AND DEATH.
AND SO, UM, ALL OVERALL STRATEGY WITH EVERYONE THAT NEEDS TO BE SERVED IS WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE HARDEST HIT COMMUNITIES.
UM, IN OUR, IN OUR AREAS, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, PEOPLE FROM LOW INCOME AND OLDER ADULTS.
AND SO WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH ALL OF THESE CATEGORIES ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO PREVENT COMMUNITY SPREAD.
BUT WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AS A COMMUNITY.
[00:05:01]
IMPORTANT FOR US IN OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ADDRESS THE EQUITY GAPS IN THE VACCINE ADMINISTRATION.UM, WE KNOW THAT BEFORE COVID, UM, ARRIVED A YEAR OR SO AGO, UM, WE HAD AREAS, UM, IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, WHERE THERE WAS NO ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION, UH, HEALTHCARE ACCESS, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE READY TO FOCUS ON POPULATIONS THAT ARE MOST DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY SEVERE DISEASE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, UM, AND BEING AT A PLACE WHERE IF THERE IS, IS LACK OF TRANSPORTATION, THAT THEY WILL HAVE A LOCATION THAT'S NEAR THEM, THAT THAT, THAT THEY CAN ACCESS.
BUT IT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO HAVE SOME SMALLER SITES, UM, THAT ARE IN LIMITED ACCESS AREAS FROM A HEALTH CARE, THEIR PROVIDER.
IT DEFINITELY COORDINATION IS ESSENTIAL.
WE ALL NEED OUR PARTNERS TO WORK TOGETHER SO WE CAN MAXIMIZE OUR EFFORTS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR, UM, OUR PARTNERS THAT HAVE, UM, HELPS.
UH, HAVEN'T BEEN MEETING WITH US AND WORKING WITH US ON THIS COLLABORATIVE PLANE, JUST SO WE HAVE A DRAFT PLAN THAT IS AVAILABLE.
AND SO WE ARE SEEKING FEEDBACK ON THAT PLAN BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE A PLAN FOR HOURS OR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS, AS WE ARE ROLLING THE VACCINE OUT, WE ARE COMMUNICATING AND ENGAGING FOLKS THAT REALLY, THEY MAY BE RELUCTANT TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
SO THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO SO FAR.
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN MAYBE AWARE, UM, THAT WE HAVE A WELLNESS SITE THAT HAS RECEIVED 1300 DOSES.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'VE GONE, UH, EMS, UM, AS WELL AS AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, STARTED WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN PUBLIC.
WELL, UM, INITIALLY RECEIVE A FIRST ALLOCATION.
UM, FROM THERE WE HAVE PROVIDED A TWO, ONE A, UM, FOLKS IN THAT CATEGORY ON MONDAY, WE RECEIVED A LARGER BACKSEAT ALLOCATE.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING SERVICES.
UM, OUR QUARTER BECAME, UM, IT'S, IT WAS ESTABLISHED TODAY.
AND SO YOU CAN GO TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/COVID 19, AND YOU CAN SIGN UP, UM, TO, TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT ON THAT SITE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR EFFORTS, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO COLLABORATE.
AND SO NOT ONLY JUST IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, BECAUSE ACROSS THE REGION OF, UH, OF TEXAS ACROSS THE MSA IN TEXAS INDIVIDUALS HAVE YEAH.
OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY CAN GO TO ANY PROVIDER, THEY WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE AND THE BACKSEAT SHOULD BE FREE OF CHARGE.
AND SO WE WANT TO WORK ACROSS, UM, THE, THE MSA.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, WORK WITH PARTNERS AND BE MORE COLLABORATIVE AS A COMMUNITY, AS WE'RE GETTING READY.
WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WANTS THE VACCINE.
WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY MOST PEOPLE.
UM, YEAH, BECAUSE WE STILL KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME, SOME HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS.
THERE ARE SOME VACCINE HESITANCY.
AND SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS IT THAT, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IN CLOSING, UM, I WANT US TO ALWAYS BE AT A POINT TO WHERE, UM, WE W WHATEVER INFORMATION WE KNOW WE NEED, AND WE WANT TO RECEIVE FROM THE PUBLIC, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN RECEIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN AT THIS TIME.
UM, THAT ENDS MY PRESENTATION.
AND I WILL, UH, TURN BACK OVER TO MR SCHOOL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, STEPHANIE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PLANNING WORK AND THE COORDINATION THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT NEED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
THIS IS A VACCINE TOWN HALL PRESENTED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HERE ON ATX N AND FACEBOOK LIVES ON LARRY SCHOOLER JOINED BY OUR PANEL.
AND I'M NEXT GOING TO TURN TO PANELISTS, MARK ED SCOTT, DR.
MARQUEZ SCOTT, THE INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY, THE HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR SOME OPENING THOUGHTS,
[00:10:01]
DR.SCOTT, IF YOU WOULD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE, UH, IN TERMS OF COVID-19.
WE ARE FOCUSING EFFORTS ON GETTING VACCINE OUT THE DOOR, BUT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO VACCINATE OURSELVES OUT OF THE CURRENT SURGE.
THE VACCINE EFFORT IS GOING TO HELP US AVOID THE NEXT SURGE.
IT'S GOING TO HELP US SAVE IN THE LONG-TERM.
IT'S GOING TO HELP US RETURN BACK TO NORMAL, BUT WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT ENTHUSIASM FOR VACCINE, WITH ENTHUSIASM, FOR PROTECTING OURSELVES, OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, GETTING VACCINE OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
OUR STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE OUR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IS WORKING HARD IN PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING VACCINE.
UH, AND WE ARE FORTUNATE BECAUSE THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A VIRUS.
AND WITHIN A YEAR HAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF VACCINES OUT IN, IN THE ARMS OF AMERICANS.
UH, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME.
WE ARE GOING TO LEARN LESSONS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO IMPROVE.
WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SCALE UP AS, AS THAT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION IMPROVES AND IT WILL, BUT UNTIL THEN, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES BY THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS, MASKING THE DISTANCING TO STAY HOME.
IF YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR STUDENTS OF HOW, IF YOU CAN WASHING OUR HANDS AT AVOIDING TOUCHING OUR FACES AND THESE THINGS WILL HELP US IMMENSELY DECREASE THE PRESSURE ON OUR HOSPITALS.
AND IT WILL ALLOW US TO FOCUS MORE RESOURCES AND MORE PERSONNEL ON THIS VACCINATION.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TONIGHT.
ESCADA AS A PARENT OF TWO SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN AND AN EXTROVERT, I WILL SAY THAT IT HASN'T BEEN EASY TO FOLLOW ALL OF THE GUIDANCE THAT, THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU HAVE GIVEN US.
AND YET WE KNOW HOW CRUCIAL IT IS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, EMBRACED OUR, OUR COVID LIVES AS IT WERE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO JUST JOINED US, THIS IS A VACCINE TOWN HALL FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THEN OUR NEXT PANELIST, WHO MIGHT WANT IT TO HEAR FROM IT WITH SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AS DR.
CHARLES CHARLES BELL OF THE CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD OF MANAGERS AND DR.
BELL, OF COURSE YOUR AGENCY IS PROVIDING A MUCH NEEDED ASSISTANCE TO THOSE FOLKS WHO MAY BE UNINSURED OR UNDER-INSURED AND STILL NEED SUPPORT.
AND I THINK YOU MAY BE MUTED ON YOUR END.
UM, YEAH, CENTRAL HEALTH IS THE TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH CARE DISTRICT, AND, UH, WE PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO THE UNINSURED, UM, WHO ARE AT, OR BELOW 200% OF FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.
UH, WE PROVIDE THESE SERVICES THROUGH A NUMBER OF PROVIDERS, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY, BUT OUR LARGEST SERVICE PROVIDER BEING COMMUNITY CARE AND COMMUNITY CARE IS OUR CENTRAL HEALTH AFFILIATED FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE CENTER, CENTRAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE ARE FOCUSED ON THE EQUITABLE, UM, COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE RECEIVE THE VACCINE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I ECHO ALL OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT, UH, DR.
S SCOTT AND STEPHANIE HAYDEN HAVE OUTLINED TO THE PUBLIC.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE OUR VIGILANCE IN BEING, UM, AND FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, WEARING A MASK, UM, AND STAYING, UH, OUTSIDE, UM, REALLY CROWDED, UH, UH, AREAS.
SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, UM, THE VACCINE WILL BE HELPFUL.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT GETS TO THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE, UH, ESPECIALLY OUR POPULATION, WHICH ARE THOSE THAT ARE MOST DISENFRANCHISED.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, ALL OF THE PARTNERS GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
BELL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR WHAT CENTRAL HEALTH IS DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY LAST, BUT MOST CERTAINLY NOT LEAST IS DR.
JASON RAUSCHENBERG FROM ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP, TEXAS DR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
SO, UH, MY NAME IS JASON REIFENBERGER.
UM, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP.
UH, ESSENTIAL MEDICAL GROUP IS A GROUP OF 900 PROVIDERS, UH, AFFILIATED WITH A NON-FOR-PROFIT, UH, MULTI-SPECIALTY GROUP
[00:15:01]
WHO SEES PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS.IN ADDITION TO EVERY SPECIALTY RANGING FROM WACO, TEXAS THROUGH GEORGETOWN TEMPLE AUSTIN, SAN MARCUS, UH, REALLY, UH, I AM A PRACTICING DERMATOLOGIST, UH, AND SPENT A LOT OF MY TIME BEFORE THIS PANDEMIC MANAGING CLINICAL QUALITY WORK PATIENT SATISFACTION.
BUT IN THE PAST NINE MONTHS, I'VE SPENT THE HUGE MAJORITY OF MY TIME WORKING ON COVID, WHETHER THAT WAS TESTING OR PROVIDE NEW TREATMENTS, SUCH AS INEQUAL, AN ANTIBODY, AND MOST RECENTLY AROUND COVID VACCINATION.
SO OUR GROUP, UH, SERVES A VERY, UH, BROAD RANGE OF PATIENTS.
WE HAVE NOW DELIVERED ABOUT 17,000 VACCINES AS OF TONIGHT, UH, BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND DOSE.
AND THAT PRIMARILY WENT TO, UH, ONE, A CATEGORY, UH, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS OF HEALTH CARE OR CLINICAL SERVICES.
AND MOST RECENTLY NOW WE'VE EXPANDED IT INTO ONE B WHERE WE STARTED TREATING OUR PATIENTS WITHIN OUR MEDICAL GROUP, IN ADDITION TO PARTNERING WITH HIGH RISK EXPOSURE POPULATION, SUCH AS SCHOOL TEACHERS, UH, IN THE ONE BIG CATEGORY I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
I GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS EVERY DAY AS THEY COME INTO OUR CLINICS ABOUT SAFETY, ABOUT PROS AND CONS OF VACCINATION, AND HOPING TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS TODAY.
I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT MY WALK THIS AFTERNOON WAS WITH ONE OF MY DOC, SO I SORT OF HAD MY OWN VACCINE TOWN HALL BEFORE TONIGHT'S TOWN HALL, BUT I'M SURE THAT, UH, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT WE'LL GET TO TONIGHT.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE JUST JOINING US, THIS IS A VACCINE TIME ALL FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THE FOCUS NOW IS ON YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK LIVE, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND I'M JUST ABOUT TO GET UNDERWAY WITH SOME QUESTIONS NOW, AND PANELISTS SOMETIMES I'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU VIEW AS BEST EQUIPPED TO ANSWER THESE.
AND SOMETIMES I'LL JUST ASK YOU TO JUMP IN.
SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I'M NOT SURE WHO SHOULD TAKE WHICH QUESTION THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE GIVING OF A VACCINE.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHERE PRODUCTION WORKERS AND STORE CLERKS FALL INTO PRIORITIZATION.
THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT INCARCERATED WHERE THEY MAY FIT IN THE PRIORITIZATION.
UM, STEPHANIE OR MARK GOT, I DON'T KNOW, DR.
SCOTT ARE, YOU'RE ABLE TO GET INTO OTHER SPECIFICS AS TO HOW YOUR PLANS RELATE TO GROUPS OF FOLKS THAT WEREN'T SPECIFICALLY ENUMERATED IN STEPHANIE'S SLIDE, BUT I THINK THAT'S OF INTEREST TO A NUMBER OF OUR VIEWERS.
YEAH, I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO START ENTERING THAT QUESTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO PRIORITIZE THAT, RIGHT? SAY, UH, AND WHAT, WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE.
AND WHAT WE SUPPORT IS, IS THE PRIORITIZATION OF OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LIMITED RESOURCE AND IT'S ALREADY STRESSED.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO, AS TO SAY THAT WE'VE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN THAT ONE, A GROUP OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS, THE NEXT GROUP, THAT ONE OF THESE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE FOR HOSPITALIZATION, UH, FOR THE NEED OF ICU CARE AND, AND CERTAINLY AT THE HIGHEST RISK OF DEATH.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK EVEN CLOSER AT THE ONE BIG GROUP, WE KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 60 TO 65, UH, ARE SHARING THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN IN TERMS OF DEATHS IN AN ICU STAYS.
UH, SO THAT'S REALLY BEEN, THE FOCUS IS, IS TRYING TO GET THE VACCINE QUICKLY NOW AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO THOSE, UH, WHO ARE IMPACTED BEING IMPACTED BY COVID-19 MOST SEVERELY THAT ARE ALSO IMPACTING OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN STABILIZE THAT ISSUE AS WE MOVE IN INTO OTHER PRIORITIES, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPECIAL POPULATIONS.
UH, I'LL, I'LL MENTION THAT, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO I ADVOCATED, UH, TO, UH, TO PRIORITIZE OUR STATE LEADERS LIKE, UH, AND THEIR KEY STAFF.
UH, AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE PART OF GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE, UH, ESSENTIAL TO THE, THE WORKINGS OF OUR, OF OUR STATE.
AND THEY ONLY MEET ONCE, UH, FOR SIX MONTHS, EVERY OTHER YEAR.
UH, AND BECAUSE OF THAT GATHERING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE SIX MONTHS IN DURATION, UH, AND BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RISK IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, UH, IT ISN'T THAT, THAT WE GET THAT GROUP VACCINATED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE APPROACHED THE STATE ABOUT PROVIDING AN ALLOCATION SPECIFIC FOR THAT, AND WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER GROUPS AS
[00:20:01]
WELL AS WELL, SUCH AS THOSE WHO WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED, UH, IN JAILS AND PRISONS.UH, SO OUR, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE ON, UH, TO OTHER GROUPS, UH, SOON.
BUT THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE WITH PRIORITIZATION IS, UH, WHO DO YOU CHOOSE? IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS IT, UH, UM, PEOPLE, MOBILITY RELATED FOLKS? SO BUS DRIVERS, UH, IS IT TEACHERS, IS IT POLICE OFFICERS? IS IT CONSTRUCT FASHION WORKERS, GROCERY STORE WORKERS, WAIT, STAFF? UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCES WITHIN THOSE, THOSE GROUPS AS FAR AS THE RISK IS CONCERNED.
SO WHAT THE STATE STRATEGY HAS DONE IS IDENTIFY ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO ARE THE HIGHEST RISKS, SO WE CAN GET TO THEM FOR IT.
NOT JUST THE ANSWER, BUT THE THOUGHT THAT'S GONE INTO PRIORITIZATION.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO DISTRIBUTION AS I'M SURE IT DOESN'T SURPRISE YOU.
AND I'LL TRY TO KIND OF CONSOLIDATE THESE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER MORE VACCINATION HUBS MIGHT OPEN UP IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IT'S.
SO WHEN AND WHERE, UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A VACCINE AT MY, UH, DOCTOR'S OFFICE, IF LARGE PUBLIC SITES MIGHT BE GIVEN PRIORITY.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT BOTTLENECKS IN DISTRIBUTION, UH, AND THERE ARE OTHER NEW QUESTION ABOUT WHY DISTRIBUTION MIGHT BE DONE IN A DE-CENTRALIZED WAY VERSUS CENTRAL HUBS.
SO LOTS OF QUESTIONS JUST IN TERMS OF HOW THE VACCINE ITSELF IS GOING TO GET INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS, SO TO SPEAK.
SO, UH, STEPHANIE, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S
UM, YES, I WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IS IMPORTANT FOR US, AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS IN HAYES, UM, WILLIAMS, UM, AND BASS DROP.
AND SO ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IN THOSE, IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS THAT BEING ABLE TO DO THIS, UM, UM, UM, IN AN ONLINE PROCESS WHERE WE ARE COLLABORATING, HOWEVER, UM, UM, COMMUNITIES WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING ENOUGH ALLOCATION OR FOLKS THAT ARE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO THEY WILL HAVE THAT ACCESS.
WE HAVE PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, I WANT US TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU GET YOUR FLU VACCINE, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS GO TO THEIR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN TO GET THEIR FLU VACCINE.
UM, I, MYSELF, I DON'T GO TO MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, UM, IN CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, WORKS AND IT HAS A PROVIDER THAT COMES IN TO PROVIDE THOSE FLU VACCINES.
OR MY SCHEDULE WAS REALLY WEIRD THIS YEAR, AS YOU ALL MAY HAVE IMAGINED COVID-19 CAME ON THE SCENE.
SO I JUST RAN UP TO THE WALGREENS, UH, RIGHT UP HERE BY MY HOME.
AND I SHOWED THEM MY, YOU KNOW, MY INSURANCE CARD AND I GOT MY BACKSEAT THAT WAY.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND THAT'S MY FULL VACCINE.
AND SO, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE WE'RE FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE EASE OF ACCESS IF THEIR PHYSICIAN IS A PROVIDER, GO TO YOUR PHYSICIAN.
IF YOU'VE GONE TO, UM, ANY OF THE OTHER PHARMACIES GO TO THE PHARMACIES, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING ANOTHER VACCINE AT ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO FOLKS WILL HAVE A CHOICE OF WHERE THEY WILL WANT TO GO.
AND THAT IS THE, THAT IS IDEALLY THE BEST WAY, UM, TO DO THIS.
AND, UH, A QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO JUST GETTING VACCINATED.
UM, SOMEONE ASKED IF I LIVE OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, CAN I STILL GET VACCINATED FROM SOMEONE IN TRAVIS COUNTY? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, ANYONE, ANY, ANY PERSON, UM, KINKO ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ANY CITY OR COUNTY.
SO IF YOU SEE PORTALS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN FOR THOSE THAT HAVE POPPED UP IN OTHER, UM, MAJOR CITIES.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE ACCEPTING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER, AND THAT'S WHAT THE, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES HAS ASKED US ALL TO DO IS TO SERVE
[00:25:02]
EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY LIVE.AND A SPECIFIC QUESTION, UH, THAT MIGHT BE FOR DR.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS, UH, THE SHOT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FREE ANYWHERE.
WHY UNINSURED, THE PRIORITIZE BEFORE INSURED AND DR.
BELLA MAY NOT BE YOUR QUESTION FROM THE STANDPOINT OF A, OF A POLICY MATTER, BUT OBVIOUSLY CENTRAL HEALTH DOES SERVE THE UNINSURED.
SCOTT, IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE SOME OF THAT AND DR.
BELL, IF YOU HAD SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE AS WELL, DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST MARK OR, YEAH, I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO, UH, TO LAUNCH THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UH, THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE THIS NUMBER ONE IS THE POPULATION THAT HAS BEEN MOST DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY COVID-19.
UH, THIS IS THE POPULATION THAT DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
THIS IS THE POPULATION THAT HAS DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION AND OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE THAT GOES UNDIAGNOSED AND UNMANAGED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.
UH, THAT'S WHY THIS COMMUNITY FIRST, THAT'S WHY THE, THE LARGE SITES RIGHT NOW, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, FIRST THAT HAS BEEN SO, SO HARDLY A HARD HIT BY COVID-19.
AND IF I COULD INTERJECT, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE UNINSURED, THAT'S MOVING THEM.
IT'S MORE THAT THEY HAVE THE CONDITIONS THAT QUALIFY THEM FOR EARLIER VACCINATION.
BELL FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT THAT, THAT YOU'D WANT TO ADD IN TERMS OF THE UNINSURED, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING MARK SAID, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THESE INDIVIDUALS TEND NOT TO HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR TRANSPORTATION.
UH, WE HAVE AREAS, UH, OUT IN EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY THAT, UH, ARE NOT NEAR A WALGREENS OR CVS OR ANY OF THE CONVENIENCES THAT, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE CITY, UH, HAVE TO, UH, GET THE VACCINE.
SO, UH, IN MANY WAYS CENTRAL HEALTH AND SOME OF ITS CLINICS AND DISTRIBUTING THE VACCINES IN THOSE AREAS, THIS IS THEIR ONLY OPPORTUNITY OR THEIR ONLY, UM, UH, AVAILABILITY OF THE VACCINE TO BE DELIVERED TO THEM.
WELL, IT'S VERY EASY TO TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT SOME OF US HAVE HAD IN THE WAY OF A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND INSURANCE THAT KEEPS THE FEES TO THAT PHYSICIAN FROM OUR POCKETS, UH, RELATIVELY LOW, UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO FOLKS WHO ARE IN THAT ONE B CATEGORY, BUT STEPHANIE REFERENCED IN THE PRESENTATION.
UH, ONE QUESTION IS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE, WHEN WE, UH, WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT, THEY REFERENCED THE, THE ISSUES WITH THE ONLINE REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A QUESTION THAT SAYS IF YOU'RE ONE BEING UNDER AGE 65 AND HAVE AN UNDERLYING CONDITION THAT IS NOT ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, SHORT LIST OF SPECIFIED CONDITIONS, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE VACCINE? SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS RELATED TO SOMEONE WHO'S ONE, BE NOT ABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR MAYBE SOME REASONS TO DO WITH THE ONLINE SITE.
THE SECOND ONE HAS TO DO WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, NOT DIRECTLY SPECIFIED BY THE STATE.
SO WE, WE, UM, WE WERE ALERTED, UM, EARLIER TODAY, UM, OUR SYSTEM, UM, DID GO BOTH ACTIVE TODAY.
UM, THE SYSTEM DOES ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE TO REGISTER, UM, AND, AND INSTEAD OF YOUR PASSWORD, ET CETERA, UM, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGE WAS, IS, UM, THE ABILITY TO SCHEDULE.
UM, AND SO OUR STAFF ARE WORKING ON THAT.
WHAT, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS, IS, UM, FOR A PERSON THAT MAY FALL INTO THE CATEGORY, THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY DO FIT INTO THE ONE B, BUT THEIR PARTICULAR, UM, ILLNESS MAY HAVE NOT BEEN MENTIONED.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, WITH THEM AND SHARE THOSE CONCERNS WITH THEM, IF YOU ARE A PERSON, UM, THAT IS UNINSURED.
UM, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO, UM, UM, TO, TO CENTRAL HELL, UM, AND, AND, AND TALK WITH THEM, UM, THROUGH THEIR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND MAYBE BE CONNECTED TO A COMMUNITY CARE SITE, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU DEFINITELY
[00:30:01]
WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO A MEDICAL HOME.I NOTICED THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, WHERE I WORK, UH, ON THEIR WEB INTERFACE HAD KIND OF THE LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING.
IT'S THE SORT OF QUALIFYING CONDITIONS, AND THEN THEY HAD ANOTHER BATCH KIND OF BELOW IT.
AND SO, UM, IT COULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WILL START TO SEE THAT ADDITIONAL TIER OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, OF CONDITIONS THAT COULD QUALIFY YOU IN THAT RESPECT.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD CLASSIFY AS KIND OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT, UH, RELATED ONE PERSON ASKED, ARE PROVIDERS CHECKING ELIGIBILITY FOR VACCINES, AND SOMEONE ELSE SAID WHO IS IN CHARGE OF ENFORCING VACCINE STAGES.
UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A DR.
S SCOTT QUESTION OR, UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY A QUESTION.
WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, AND I KNOW FROM, FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP.
UM, DEFINITELY IF YOU FIT IN THE ONE B CRITERIA, UM, BUT WHAT WE WILL NOT DO IS WE WILL NOT ASK YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PROVE TO US WHAT THAT UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION, THE UNITS WE'RE GOING TO GO BY.
UM, YOU BEING HONEST WITH US, UM, AND, AND TELLING US WHAT THAT IS.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SEVERE ALLERGIES, AND I KNOW THAT ISN'T PART OF THE SCREENING PROCESS THAT WE ASK PEOPLE BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW.
UM, SO WE COULD PREPARE JUST IN CASE, UM, YOU HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION.
AND SO FOR US, UM, AS PUBLIC HEALTH, WE'RE DEFINITELY DEPENDING ON FOLKS, TO BE HONEST, AND JUST LET US KNOW WHAT THAT UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION IS, UH, AN HONOR SYSTEM, UH, AT, AT SCALE AS IT WERE.
UM, IF I CAN INTERRUPT FOR A SECOND AS A PR A VACCINE PROVIDER IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THIS IS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR US, UH, WITH DEMAND FAR EXCEEDING SUPPLY.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LEVERAGE THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND ONE OF THE SYSTEMS IS IF YOU'RE AN ESTABLISHED PATIENT IN AN OFFICE, IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR THAT OFFICE TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE AN APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW THAT SOME OFFICES ARE SPECIFICALLY USING LISTS INTERNALLY THAT THEY'VE CREATED BASED ON THEIR CRITERIA, AT LEAST HAVE A START TO HOW TO TIER, HOW TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINE.
I THINK THAT AS VACCINE BECOMES MORE AVAILABLE, I THINK THAT THESE TIERS ALSO ARE GOING TO PROBABLY BE EASIER TO MANAGE.
AND LARRY I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD ONE MORE ITEM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ANTICIPATED THIS DIFFICULTY, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE VACCINE WASN'T GOING TO BE TIED TO A MEDICAL HOME, IT WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR US TO DETERMINE THE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS WITH CERTAINTY.
UH, SO PROBABLY WHAT WE'VE DONE IS REALLY FOCUSED ON AGE, UH, AGE IS EASIER TO PROVE, AND, UH, IT REALLY IS AN INDEPENDENT RISK FACTOR FOR SEVERE DISEASE.
SO RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 65, 65 YEARS OLD OR OVER, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT THE HIGHEST RISK.
IT'S EASY FOR US TO, UH, PROVE THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN EXPECT, UH, AS WE JUST SAID, VACCINES, GOING TO CONTINUE TO RAMP UP.
THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION RIGHT NOW.
PEOPLE WANT TO GET THEIR VACCINE TODAY, AND THEN WE'D LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE, SIX, EIGHT WEEKS FROM NOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SUCH RESTRICTED AVAILABILITY.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AVAILABILITY EVERYWHERE.
AND I, I SAY THAT WITH CONFIDENCE BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING A THIRD VACCINE APPROVED, UH, EARLY NEXT MONTH, WHICH IS REALLY GOING TO INJECT, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, UH, VOLUMES OF A VACCINE, UH, INTO THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WAS GOING TO HELP THE SITUATION OUT.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT AGE IS EASIER TO CHECK I'VE.
I'VE NOTICED IN SEVERAL FRIENDS OF MINE THAT THEY HAVE SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, LET THEIR FACIAL, OR EVEN HEAD HAIR GROW TO AN EXTENT THAT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW OLD THEY ARE ANYMORE, OR THEY'VE AGED MORE QUICKLY THAN I THOUGHT.
UM, BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT AGE IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN DOCUMENT A BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
UM, ADD A COUPLE OF FOLKS WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT KIND OF, UH, ISSUES RELATED TO EQUITABLE
[00:35:01]
DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE OR EQUITABLE ISSUANCE OF THE VACCINE.UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO PEOPLE WITH INSURANCE.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, IS, UH, SIMPLY FOR INSURED PEOPLE WITH HIGH RISK CONDITIONS, YOU RECOMMEND A REGISTER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, OR TO WAIT FOR THEIR PRIMARY CARE TO OFFER THE VACCINE.
REALLY, WE WOULD PREFER THAT YOU, UM, WAIT FOR YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN TO GET THE VACCINE.
UM, AND AS I STATED EARLIER, THERE WILL BE SOME, SOME PHARMACY LOCATIONS THAT WILL HAVE IT AS WELL.
SO THAT COULD BE AN OPTION FOR YOU.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE LARGE SITES AND WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IS THAT, IS THAT WHERE I NEED TO HEAD, OR SHOULD I VISIT WITH MY, UH, DIRECT, UH, DOCTOR, UM, LOTS OF QUESTIONS COMING IN AND FOR THOSE WHO'VE JUST JOINED US, WE ARE IN A VACCINE AT TOWN HALL.
YOU'RE ON AUSTIN, TEXAS TELEVISION, AND ON FACEBOOK LIVE I'M LARRY SCHOOLER JOINED TONIGHT BY STEPHANIE HAYDEN OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, DR.
CHARLES BELL CENTRAL HEALTH, DR.
JASON RASHENBERG OF ASCENSION AND DR.
MARK SCOTT OF THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.
UH, WE APPRECIATE VERY MUCH ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR, PLEASE CONTINUE TO POST THEM AND WE WILL GET TO AS MANY OF THEM AS WE CAN.
ASCOT, YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, A DEMAND, OR ACTUALLY DR.
RASHENBERG MENTIONED DEMAND EXCEEDING SUPPLY.
AND, UM, THERE ARE QUESTIONS AS TO WHY THERE IS NOT ENOUGH VACCINE AVAILABLE, AND CERTAINLY THAT'S BEEN REPORTED ON A LOT IN THE NEWS MEDIA, BUT, UH, FROM WHERE YOU ALL SIT NOW, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH MORE DEMAND FOR VACCINE THAN THERE IS SUPPLY? WELL, I'LL START BY SAYING AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF VACCINE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE U S IT IS MIRACULOUS, REALLY MIRACULOUS THAT WE ARE EVEN AT THIS POINT OF MASS DISTRIBUTIONS, WOULDN'T IT ORDINARILY TO BEGIN A COUPLE OF YEARS TO GET TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE YOU'RE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY MANY YEARS IN ORDER TO, UH, TO CREATE A NEW VACCINE FOR A BRAND NEW VIRUS.
I'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE, UH, OUR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY, OUR, OUR GOVERNMENT, UH, IN, IN THE ABILITY TO, UH, TO REALLY REALIGN ITSELF, TO PRIORITIZE AND TO, TO PRE MANUFACTURE MILLIONS OF DOSES OF VACCINE, WHICH IS A BRILLIANT STRATEGY SO THAT WE COULD GET THEM OUT THE DOOR IN MASS QUANTITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S USEFUL TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AND MAYBE DR.
RAUSCHENBERG CAN CHIME IN HERE AS WELL.
THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING HAS HAPPENED IN RECORD TIME IS SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY EXCITES YOU.
IT EXCITES ME AS SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GET THE VACCINE.
IT ALSO WORRIES OTHERS WHO THINK THAT CORNERS HAVE BEEN CUT IN THE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL DOMAINS.
AND SO I WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD SAY TO THEM.
WELL, I CAN JUMP IN, UH, HAVING DONE SOME CLINICAL RESEARCH AND ADDITIONAL CLINICAL WORK, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SAFETY AND A LOT OF THESE VACCINES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY PATIENTS AND HOW MANY DAYS, MONTHS, OR YEARS THOSE PATIENTS HAVE HAD SINCE THAT, UM, VACCINE WAS GIVEN.
AND THE GREAT THING IS DUE TO THE ENTHUSIASM OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO, UH, BE, UH, TRIAL SUBJECTS DURING THE TRIAL PHASE.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS NOW TO GIVE US CONFIDENCE ON THE SAFETY OF THESE MEDICATIONS.
I WILL SAY THAT BASED ON THE SAFETY DATA, WE ALREADY HAVE, THIS VACCINE IS SAFER THAN A LOT OF MEDICATIONS THAT I USE ROUTINELY.
UH, I WAS COMPARING THE VACCINE WITH SOME DAY ANTIBIOTICS.
I GIVE, UH, SOME OF, UH, THE PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS THAT ARE GIVEN, AND THOSE ARE DRUGS THAT PEOPLE USE ROUTINELY.
UH, THIS IS A, A VERY SAFE MEDICATION CONSIDERING HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOSES HAVE BEEN GIVEN NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL.
NOW, I, I HAVE NOT BEEN SEEING BIG SIGNALS.
UH, IN FACT, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE THAT THIS VACCINE IS, IS A SAFE OPTION.
THE FACT THAT ALL THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS HAVE LINED UP TO COME TO GET IT, UH, I THINK ALSO IS A TESTAMENT TO THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY HAS AND THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE.
[00:40:01]
THERE'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION HERE THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT, WHICH IS HOW COME VACCINE SITES ARE INDOORS, AND WOULDN'T IT BE SAFE FOR OUTDOORS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING? ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? UH, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT THERE, THERE ARE SOME VACCINES SITES THAT ARE OUTDOORS.UH, THERE, THERE WAS A DRIVE-THROUGH VACCINE EFFORT HERE LOCALLY.
UH, WE'RE NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED ON SATURDAY.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A COMBINATION OF EFFORTS, UH, IN THOSE AND DRIVE THROUGH, UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE INDOOR CLINICS HAVE A SCREENING PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT NOBODY'S SYMPTOMATIC MASKS ARE REQUIRED, DISTANCING IS REQUIRED.
UH, SO EVERY SITE THAT I'VE SEEN HAS THOROUGHLY WORKED THROUGH THE SAFETY MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT IF THEY WERE HAVING AN INDOOR VACCINATION PROGRAM, THAT, THAT IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REPORTING.
I KNOW THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ALL THE VACCINES, BUT I KNOW CERTAIN OF THE VACCINES REQUIRE, UH, ULTRA COLD STORAGE.
AND SO THERE'S A QUESTION THAT'S BEEN POSED, UM, ABOUT HOW VACCINES ARE BEING STORED.
AND, UM, WHEN WILSON VACCINE, THIS PERSON SAYS, IF THEY HAVE THE FACILITY, I ASSUME IF A FACILITY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, HOW LONG HAS IT TAKEN TO THEN DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE? BUT, BUT THE QUESTION ABOUT STORAGE, I THINK, IS ONE THAT WOULD HELP, UH, REASSURE THE PUBLIC FOR WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, I CAN ADDRESS, UM, THE STORAGE OF A VACCINE IN ORDER TO BE A PROVIDER OF THE VACCINE.
YOU MUST HAVE THE FACILITIES TO SAFELY STORE THE VACCINE, MONITOR THE TEMPERATURE, UM, AROUND THE CLOCK, UM, HAVE, UH, HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROCESS THAT ALERTS YOU.
IF, IF THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS, IS WITH, WITH PFIZER, PFIZER IS THE ONE THAT DOES REQUIRE THE EXTRA ON COLD, UM, TEMPERATURE.
UM, MADONNA, UM, CAN BE KEPT AT A, AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE, BUT WITH BOTH OF THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU, UM, RECEIVED THEM, YOU KNOW, AS A PROVIDER, YOU CAN KEEP THEM IN YOUR, IN YOUR REGULAR, UM, UM, REFRIGERATOR AND THEN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE VACCINE.
SO YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF DAYS THAT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND MINISTER THOSE, UM, AT YOUR, AT YOUR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, REGULAR VACCINE, UM, STORAGE LEVEL.
NOW FOR US, WE DO HAVE, UM, NOT A VACCINE THAT THAT CAN STORE PFIZER.
UM, AND SO, UM, IT'S, UH, EQUIVALENT TO, UM, A SYSTEM FOR A VARICELLA, WHICH IS, UH, A VACCINE FOR CHICKEN POX.
AND SO, UM, THAT HAS TO BE KEPT AT A VERY COLD TEMPERATURE AS WELL.
AND SO THE MODERNA, WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THAT, UM, AT THAT SYMBOL.
I THINK THAT THAT EXPLAINS WHY YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THE PFIZER IS GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE DISTRIBUTED AT, UH, LARGE FACILITIES, LIKE A HOSPITAL OR A LABORATORY THAT HAVE THESE COLD CHAIN FACILITIES WHERE, UM, UH, SMALLER FACILITIES, A PRIMARY CARE OFFICE, ET CETERA, IS NEW TO ME GOING TO GET IN RETURN, OR SOME OF THE NEWER VACCINES REQUIRE EVEN LESS COLD STORAGE.
UH, SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AS WE CONTINUE ON IN THE VACCINE HISTORY, UH, WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS.
THERE IS A QUESTION, AND IF YOU'RE JUST JOINING US, THIS IS A VACCINE TOWN HALL FOR MOST PUBLIC HEALTH HERE ON ATX AND FACEBOOK LIVE.
I'M LARRY SCHOOLER WITH STEPHANIE HAYDEN FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, DR.
CHARLES BELL FROM CENTRAL HEALTH, DR.
JASON WEISENBERGER FROM ASCENSION MEDICAL AND DR.
MARQUEZ SCOTT, THE INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.
UM, THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR DR.
BELL, UH, THOUGH I THINK THIS PROBABLY IMPACTS A LOT OF YOU.
UM, HOW DO YOU EXPECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE EMAIL ACCOUNTS TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESSES WITH PROVIDERS? AND I MENTIONED DR.
BELL ONLY BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MANY UNINSURED FOLKS FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY, BUT ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO THAT PARTICULAR ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGE.
UM, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, INITIALLY OUR COMMUNITY CARE POPULATION, AS WELL AS, UH, PROVIDERS IN OUR NETWORK THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE UNDERSERVED,
[00:45:01]
UM, WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THEM ARE NOT CONNECTED ELECTRONICALLY.UM, BUT BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, UM, WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT DO OUTREACH TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN, UH, WHEN WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS TO, UH, PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SERVICES TO THE POPULATION THAT WE SERVE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, SENDING A TEXT MESSAGE OR SENDING AN EMAIL, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GONNA REACH EVERYONE.
SO, UH, WE HAVE THE AVAILABLE STAFF AND WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO GO OUT INTO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, INTO THOSE AREAS AND TALK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION AND HOPEFULLY THEY PASS IT ON.
UM, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IS THAT, UM, WE DID PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE WE DO UNDERSTAND EVERYONE DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT WILL BE, UM, THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN GIVE US A CALL AND WE WILL SCHEDULE THEIR APPOINTMENT.
WE WILL, UM, PUT ALL OF THEIR INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM, UM, AS IF THEY WERE ONLINE AND DOING THAT THEMSELVES.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE PROVIDED TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I KNOW THAT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE.
BELL MENTIONING THE SCARCITY OF FACILITIES IN CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR REGION.
UH, AND SOMETIMES IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE A CAR, THERE COULD BE A DIFFICULTY ACTUALLY GETTING WHERE THEY NEED TO GO FOR VACCINE.
SO IS ANYBODY ABLE TO SPEAK TO A SYSTEM TO ASSIST WITH GETTING PEOPLE TO PAY? GO AHEAD.
UM, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR CLINIC LOCATION IS GOING TO BE.
WE KNOW IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ON A BUS LINE, UM, AND YOU DON'T WANT A BUS LINE THAT IS A MILE AWAY FROM WHERE THEY MAY BE TRYING TO GET TO, YOU WANT IT TO BE NEARBY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY GOOD.
SO TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE YOU'RE PLANNING, BUT MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS, UM, ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND IN ADDITION, UM, MANY TIMES WHEN WE HAD, UM, INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE BUS LINES ARE NOT AS ACCESSIBLE AS THEY ARE CLOSER INTO EAST AUSTIN, UM, THAT WE HAVE SET UP ARRANGEMENTS WITH A CAR CAR, UH, SERVICES LIKE, UH, AUSTIN, UH, PUBLIC RIDE OR AUSTIN RIDE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY THE NAME, BUT, UM, WE SET UP SERVICES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO, UH, BE TRANSPORTED TO CLINICS FOR THEIR APPOINTMENTS.
AND I'M SURE THAT WE CAN AVAIL OURSELVES, UH, TO DO THAT AGAIN, IF NECESSARY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, IT IS, UH, NOT SURPRISING, BUT STILL REMARKABLE THAT SO MANY OF THE EQUITY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE FACED WITHIN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THIS COMMUNITY HAVE COME BACK TO, YOU KNOW, POSE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO US HERE AS WE ARE IN THIS CRITICAL MOMENT.
SEVERAL OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I'M GOING TO TRY AND GET TO BEFORE WE CLOSE HERE AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR, THIS IS A VACCINE TOWN HALL FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE EITHER FOR DR.
RASHENBERG OR MAYBE FOR THE POLICYMAKERS, UH, IS AUSTIN MAKING AN EFFORT TO VACCINATE PEOPLE OF A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD ON THE SAME DAY TO REDUCE EXPOSURE, OR WILL THE PEOPLE IN THE SAME RISK GROUP GET DIFFERENT DAYS AND TIMES.
AND THEN THERE WAS A QUESTION WE CAN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED STOP SOCIAL DISTANCING IN TERMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES.
SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO START, AND THEN, UM, MAYBE EVERYBODY ELSE CAN JUMP IN.
I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, AS OUR SYSTEMS ARE GETTING MORE SOPHISTICATED AND WE'RE GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME, UH, I THINK THAT THERE IS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO VACCINATE, UH, GROUPS.
I THINK ONE, ONCE WE START EXPANDING THE, UH, GUIDELINES OF WHO WOULD FALL INTO DIFFERENT GROUPS, THAT'LL ALSO
[00:50:01]
BE EASIER.FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A 65 YEAR OLD, WHO'S MARRIED TO A 62 YEAR OLD, ONE OF THEM DOESN'T QUALIFY AND THE OTHER ONE DOES, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT TO DO BOTH.
AND I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE EFFORTS TO DO THAT.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME ANSWERING.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS, DO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DANCE AT THIS TIME? AND I WOULD SAY, THE ANSWER IS RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU'LL SEE THIS SINCE MANY OF THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORRYING THAT THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR VACCINATION PERIOD, IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS, YOU ARE NOT FULLY IMMUNE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PATIENTS WHO GOT THEIR FIRST VACCINE AND UNFORTUNATELY WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO GOT EXPOSED TO COVID AND THEN GOT, COVID NOT FROM THE VACCINE BECAUSE THAT'S A KILLED VACCINE THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY RISKS, BUT BECAUSE THEY UNFORTUNATELY JUST GOT COVID SO VERY IMPORTANT TO MASK FOR THAT REASON BECAUSE YOUR IMMUNITY TAKES A WHILE.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT THIS VACCINE IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE, BUT NOTHING IS A HUNDRED PERCENT IN THIS WORLD.
SO THE VACCINE TRIALS WERE REDUCED BETWEEN 90 AND 95%.
THE CHANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH COVID DURING THIS PERIOD.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, PERIOD WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WE DID HAVE PEOPLE IN BOTH STUDY SIDES WITHOUT COVID.
THE GOOD ANSWER IS, IS IT ALMOST EVERYBODY WHO ENDED UP WITH THE VACCINE WAS STILL ABOUT COATED IN MUCH, UH, MORE ATTENUATED FORM.
THE THIRD REASON IS BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN BECOME A TRANSMITTER BETWEEN PERSON TO PERSON.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO REPEAT MYSELF THAT COVID VACCINE IS NOT ALIVE VACCINE, AND YOU CANNOT, IF YOU GET THE COVID SHOT, GIVE ANYBODY COVID.
HOWEVER, IF I'M FULLY IMMUNE AND I'M EXPOSED TO PATIENT A WHO HAS COVID AND I'M HOLDING THAT COVID NOW IN MY NOSE, AND THEN I EXPOSE THE PATIENT B I CAN TRANSMIT FROM PERSON TO PERSON, EVEN IF I AM NOT, UH, ABLE TO GET INFECTED.
AND WE'RE NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE CASE YET, THERE ARE SOME DATA THAT MAKES US CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I HOPE THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE SO THAT WE CAN STOP IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
AND DOCTOR HAS GOT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, WE CURRENTLY ARE IN A WHAT'S CALLED STAGE FIVE, WHICH CALLS FOR, UH, AVOIDING GATHERINGS, UH, OUTSIDE OF, OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD, UH, FOR NOT JUST HIGHER RISK INDIVIDUALS, BUT, UH, BUT ALL INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, I'M SURE THAT THERE WILL NEED TO BE A NUMBER OF CHANGES TO SOME OF THE INDICATORS.
I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR BEFORE YOU'RE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO RECOMMEND A CHANGE IN STAGE THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO BE VERY PROTECTIVE.
UH, AGAIN, WE CAN'T VACCINATE OURSELVES OUT OF THIS SURGE, UH, BUT AS WAS JUST SAID, WHAT, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT AS WE GATHER MORE DATA ON, UH, PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN VACCINATED, IT WILL HELP US MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT MAY PREVENT INFECTION.
UH, THE STUDIES IN POINT WAS LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE DEVELOPED SYMPTOMATIC DISEASE.
UH, SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE IMMUNITY, MEANING YOU CAN'T EVEN GET INFECTED VERSUS, UH, NOT HAVING A SYMPTOMATIC DISEASE.
UH, SO WE NEED TO COLLECT MORE DATA, BUT I TOO AM HOPEFUL THAT AS WE COLLECT MORE DATA, IT WILL GIVE US MORE CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT IT MAY ALSO PREVENT INFECTION UNTIL THEN, UNTIL WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT VACCINATION TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE STUCK WITH MASKING AND DISTANCING FOR AWHILE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WATCH THE GAME SHOW FAMILY FEUD.
MY IN-LAWS WATCH IT EVERY SINGLE EVENING.
SO NOW I HAVE BEEN WATCHING IT AND THEY HAVE THAT FINAL SPEED ROUND WHERE YOU HAVE TO ANSWER LIKE FIVE QUESTIONS IN 20 SECONDS.
THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED STUFF.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO ASK ANY OF YOU TO ANSWER FIVE QUESTIONS IN 20 SECONDS, BUT I MIGHT MAKE YOU ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS IN 60 SECONDS.
THERE IS A QUESTION, UH, IF YOU GET A FIRST SHOT, ARE YOU AUTOMATICALLY SCHEDULED TO GET THE SECOND, OR DO YOU HAVE TO SEARCH ALL OVER AGAIN? SO THE, THE INDIVIDUAL, THE GROUP THAT OFFERS YOU THE FIRST SHOT, SHOULDN'T SCHEDULE YOUR SECOND SHOT AS WELL.
UH, IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES THAT SCHEDULING WILL HAPPEN BEFORE YOU EVEN LEAVE THAT LOCATION.
UH, THAT'S CERTAINLY BE THE CASE, UH, FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WILL REACH OUT, UH, AND, AND OFFER YOU THAT, THAT SECOND SHOT.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A NATIONAL SYSTEM, UH, THAT, UH, THAT PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP FOR.
IT'S GOING TO TRACK ANY SYMPTOMS OF SIDE EFFECTS.
[00:55:01]
GOING TO ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A SECOND SHOT? DID YOU GET YOUR SECOND SHOT TODAY? UH, SO THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR THAT YET.AND THE FINAL QUESTION I'LL ASK IS, UH, MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN SAYS HE WILL NOT BE GIVEN GIVING SHOTS.
SO CAN WE GET VACCINATED THROUGH AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, ASSUMING THIS PERSON IS AN INSURED.
UH, SO TH TH TH TH THE ANSWER IS WE WANT TO FOCUS THE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS ON THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE OTHER OPTIONS.
UH, IF PEOPLE SIGN UP AND THEY'RE QUALIFIED, THEY'RE GOING TO GET, UH, GET OFFERED A SPOT WHEN THERE'S A SPOT AVAILABLE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT OTHER PARTNERS LIKE HEB, UH, LIKE CVS, WALGREENS, AUSTIN, REGIONAL CLINIC, UH, AND OTHERS, UH, INCLUDING COMMUNITY CARE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE VACCINES SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO OFFER AGAIN.
MY MY GUESS IS THAT A MONTH FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOST, CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE RESTRICTED FLOW OF VACCINE.
AND WE WILL SEE MUCH MORE VOLUMES, A MUCH HIGHER VOLUMES, UH, VACCINE SENDS OUT TO THE SPACE.
WELL, IT IS AT THIS POINT, BUT I WANT TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST THANKS TO DR.
MARCUS SCOTT, WHO JUST SPOKE THERE, THE INTERIM AUSTIN HEALTH AUTHORITY, STEPHANIE HAYDEN, THE DIRECTOR OF BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH, DR.
CHARLES BELL, THE VICE CHAIR OF THE CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD OF MANAGERS AND DR.
JASON RAUSCHENBERG, THE PRESIDENT OF ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP, TEXAS, UH, TO THE FOUR OF YOU.
THANK YOU, NOT JUST FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING AND YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE ALL REALLY APPRECIATE IT TO BE, AS WE CLOSE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITING AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH COVID-19.
AT THAT PAGE, YOU CAN NOT ONLY GET INFORMATION ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR A VACCINE VACCINATION APPOINTMENT THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT THEY HAVE A DATA DASHBOARDS.
THEY HAVE FACILITY CLOSURES, THEY HAVE NEWS UPDATES.
THEY HAVE A SELF-ASSESSMENT THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU MIGHT HAVE A COVID-19.
SO AGAIN, THAT WEBSITE IS AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH COVID-19.
AND JUST TO REITERATE, UH, ACCORDING TO THE, UH, DASHBOARD INDICATORS THAT I'M LOOKING AT, WE HAD SOME 745 NEW CASES.
WE HAVE 177, UH, OF OUR POPULATION IN INTENSIVE CARE OF 583 HOSPITAL.
SO FAR OF COVID-19 IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND CREDIBLY 580 DEATHS.
ALL OF THAT IS TO SAY THAT THE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES HAVE US IN STAGE FIVE OF THE RESTRICTIONS AND THAT CALLS FOR PRACTICING GOOD HYGIENE, STAYING HOME WITH YOUR SICK, AVOIDING SICK PEOPLE, MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING, WHERE OFFICIAL COVERINGS AVOID GATHERINGS OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD, AVOIDING NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL, AVOID DINING AND SHOPPING, EXCEPT AS ESSENTIAL.
AND FOR BUSINESSES, A CONTACTLESS OPTIONS ONLY LUG CURBSIDE OR DELIVERABLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TO END ON THAT NOTE, BUT I CERTAINLY AM ENDING THIS CONVERSATION WITH A GREAT DEAL OF HOPE AND OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY TO HELP US RECEIVE THE VACCINATION THAT WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO HELP US GET THROUGH AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LIKE WE CAN DO WHAT'S NECESSARY, UH, FOR HOPEFULLY JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER TO MAKE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND BACK TO THE LIVES THAT I KNOW WE WANT TO RESUME AGAIN ON BEHALF OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR THIS VACCINE TOWN HALL FOR ALL OF US AT ATX SEN AND THE CITY OF BOSTON ON LARRY SCHOOLER.