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CNN Poll: 56% Say They Would Take COVID Vaccine If It Existed; Dr. Eric Toner Discusses John Hopkins Study Recommending Who Should Get Vaccine 1st; Attorney General Mark Herring (D-VA) Discusses 20 States Planning to Sue Postmaster General, Trump Claiming Mail-In Voting Leads to Fraud, Suggestion Election re-do; Update on Coronavirus Responses Around the World; Target Sees Largest Growth in Company History. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired August 19, 2020 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: There's also a new CNN poll I wanted to get your take on, showing a slim majority of Americans would try a vaccine if it is available, 56 percent.

What do you see here, Elizabeth?

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: These numbers are really not great. You know, the government and Operation Warp Speed, the NIH have spent billions of dollars trying to come up with a vaccine. We just heard Dr. Fauci talking about it.

But it's like what if you had a party and nobody showed up. What if you came up with this great vaccine and only slightly half of Americans got it? You would not be able to get the immunity you're looking for.

Let's take a look at what the latest poll shows. We polled people, August 12th to 15th, asking the question: Would you try to get a coronavirus vaccine if it existed? And 56 percent said yes, but 40 percent said no, 40 percent said they wouldn't get it.

Again, very difficult to reach good immunity levels if 40 percent of the population isn't getting the vaccine.

Then we looked at this over time and it's actually even worse. We asked the same question in May, would you get a vaccine if it were here, and 66 percent said yes. Now only 56 percent said yes.

That is a 10-point drop in just a matter of about three months.

And it certainly speaks to an issue, Kate, that you and I have talked about before, which is the anti-vaccine advocates have been out full force, pedal to the metal, saying don't take the coronavirus vaccine.

And we have yet to get an organized campaign from the government saying, hey, let me tell you the truth about a coronavirus vaccine and here's why you should get one.

BOLDUAN: It needs to be as or stronger full force than the anti-vax movement we're seeing on this.

Great to see you, Elizabeth. Thank you.

COHEN: Right.

BOLDUAN: Once there's an approved vaccine, who should be the first to get it? This morning, there's a new report out from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security laying out recommendations pretty clearly on who should be at the front of the line.

Joining me right now is one of the authors of the report, Dr. Eric Toner, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

It's great to see you, Doctor. Thank you for being here.

Who should get the vaccine first? Could you lay out what you all have found? And how did you decide why they should get priority?

DR. ERIC TONER, SENIOR SCHOLAR, JOHN HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: Well, sure. And thank you for having me.

The -- what we did was created an ethics framework for how to make these decisions. So we start with commonly accepted ethical values, like promoting the common good, like justice and fairness and legitimacy, and then we work through how this applies to this pandemic.

And eventually we come up with what we think, our large group thinks are the priority groups and those people should get the vaccine when it's in limited supply before the general public.

BOLDUAN: And lay out for us, who are the top priority groups? Who should be first in line?

TONER: Well, first in line in our top tier would be those people most essential for sustaining the ongoing response. So that would be health care workers and that would be people doing the vaccination and that would be people helping to distribute the vaccine.

The next category -- and these are not in order, these are all in the next year -- those people most at risk for severe outcome, And that would be people over 65 and people with underlying health conditions.

And the third category in the next year are those people essential to maintain social functions. So that would be teachers. That would be people who are public transportation workers, people working in grocery stores. They are essential to keeping their society functioning.

These should be the top tier.

BOLDUAN: We know young people aren't part of the clinical trials that we're looking at right now. It could be a bit before the vaccine is proven safe and effective for children.

How did that unknown factor, as it has to be with these vaccines being developed, fit into the framework that you've outlined?

TONER: Well, we are very careful to say that this is a preliminary set of recommendations and a set of judgments based on what we know so far. And there's so much that we don't know.

We do not put children in a priority categorization, except for those who have underlying health conditions and it put them at greater risk for that outcome.

So it is -- and it will be an issue, and particularly with kids who have rare, genetic diseases. They would not have been studied in these trials. And it would be hard to know if they'd be vaccinated.

BOLDUAN: I wanted to get your take, as my colleague, Elizabeth Cohen, had outlined right before our conversation, this CNN poll that came out asking Americans if they would take a vaccine, a COVID vaccine, if it became available.

[11:35:01]

And it is a bare majority, a slim majority of Americans said they would get the coronavirus vaccine if it was available.

I'm just curious, from your perspective, what does it mean in the fight against the virus if only slightly more than half of all Americans would get the vaccine?

TONER: Well, it's really important that people get the vaccine. And as you were discussing with your reporter, there needs to be a very robust government effort to talk to people about what we know about the vaccines and about the safety and the efficacy.

Once we know those things, part of the problems is the trials haven't been done yet, so we don't know those results yet.

But communication and outreach, and particularly outreach to communities that are underrepresented or marginalized, that's going to be critically important because if only half the people are willing to take the vaccine -- and the vaccine is not going to be perfect. No vaccine is 100 percent effective.

So we really do need to get a lot of people vaccinated, and that's going to take a huge communications effort.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I think that's a great way of putting it.

Dr. Toner, thank you for your work and thank you for coming on.

TONER: You're very welcome. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

Coming up for us, did the postmaster general just back down? Does this fix the problems that so many feared by the postal service and the upcoming election? One the states attorneys general, suing the postmaster general, joins us next

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:41:32]

BOLDUAN: Despite a major reversal from the postal service, postal union leaders fear the damage is already done.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced yesterday that he's halting operational changes and cost-cutting measures until after the November election.

And this is after facing widespread backlash over the times of the changes and the delays that they were creating.

But still, postal union leaders from across the country tell CNN there's no plan to replace the decommissioned sorting machines, for example, that are causing some of the problems and concern. And they worry that the network has already been jeopardized.

This, as at least 20 Democratic-led states announced plans to sue the postmaster general and postal service over these changes they say threatens to undermine the election.

Joining me right now is one of the attorneys general pushing a lawsuit, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

Thank you for coming on. Appreciate your time.

Just as you were announcing your lawsuit, DeJoy reverses course and is halting these changes until after the election. What is your reaction to DeJoy suspending?

MARK HERRING, ATTORNEY GENERAL (D-VA): I suppose the administration saying, OK, you caught us, we'll stop, is a start, but we're not going to take their word for it.

And this administration has shown time and again they could be saying one thing one minute and doing something completely different the next.

So we will continue to watch very closely. And it's not enough just to stop the continued disruption of the postal service but we need to see the damage that's been done corrected.

BOLDUAN: No matter what, these lawsuits continue. And you do not take the postmaster general at his word?

HERRING: As I said, this is a recurring pattern with this administration. They will throw out a terrible policy or sow seeds of chaos, oftentimes, in ways that are illegal or unlawful. And then we have to take quick action to file suit, to stop it, to protect our Constitution and our Democratic norms. This is something that Americans -- the good news is that Americans

have been able to count on Democratic attorneys general time and again to serve as a check and a block on a president that is constantly acting unconstitutionally and illegally.

We did it from the first days of the administration with the illegal and un-American Muslim ban, when the president threatened to deport international students if colleges and universities didn't offer in- person classes. We filed suit to stop him. And then, at the first hearing, he backed down.

So we know this is something that we have to continue to watch very, very closely.

And Americans can have confidence that Democratic attorneys general will make sure that people can vote safely and that their vote will count.

BOLDUAN: But are you sure that the damage the system has not already done? Because that's a fear of postal union leaders across the country right now telling CNN they don't know if these -- if some of the machines, for example, that have been decommissioned and taken apart can be brought back online.

Do you know if that's true? Do you know if service can be ramped back up to the levels before these changes were made?

HERRING: Well, that is one concern we have and that's why we are poised to act in court if we need to, to make sure that the damage that has already been done is fixed. And if it takes a court order to do it, we won't hesitate.

And Americans need to have confidence in their electoral system, and they can.

[11:45:01]

And they can know that Democratic attorneys general will protect the integrity of our electoral system. And that they will be able to vote safely whether it is in-person and by mail. And that we -- that they can do so safely and that their vote will count.

And, look, this election is like nothing else that we've seen. People need to vote like our democracy depends on it because it does.

BOLDUAN: Let me ask you, when you're talking about voting, the president continues to say that mail-in voting will lead to voter fraud without any evidence. He's taking it a step further now. Let me play something for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome. They'll have to do it again. And nobody wants that, and I don't want that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Suggesting a re-do of the election is going to be needed? What's your reaction to that, Attorney General?

HERRING: Well, the president's statements and his Twitter feed is a non-stop bullhorn trying to undermine the American public's confidence in our electoral system.

As attorney general. I'm going to make sure that Virginia's votes are going to count.

And Democratic attorneys general across the country will make sure that our electoral system is fair, that everybody's vote is going to count, whether it is in person, by mail.

And do not let the president undermine your confidence in the election. We're going to make sure that we have a safe, healthy and fair election.

BOLDUAN: Attorney General Mark Herring, thank you for coming on.

HERRING: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, a staggering new number from Apple. The company is now worth $2 trillion.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:51:03]

BOLDUAN: India just reported approaching three million coronavirus cases. The country's COVID death toll reached almost 54,000. India now the third most affected country in the world after the United States and Brazil.

For more coronavirus headlines, let's check in with our correspondents around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ben Wedeman, in Beirut, where the government will impose a 17-day lockdown Friday as coronavirus cases surge.

Several of the hospitals treating COVID-19 patients were severely damaged in the Beirut port blast 15 days ago. And those hospitals still treating patients are now at capacity.

Containing the virus is a challenge in this city where, as a result of that blast, more than 300,000 people are now homeless.

On top of all that, the economy is in free fall, and the government near total bankruptcy. MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Matt Rivers, in

Mexico City. At a World Health Organization briefing, officials once again highlighted how dire the situation is right now in the Americas.

This region, which makes up North, Central and South America, only accounts for about 13 percent of the world's population, but 64 percent of all the officially recorded deaths due to this virus have come in this part of the world.

Meanwhile, some good news here in Mexico. Officials say that newly confirmed cases each day are going down. This, though, as newly confirmed deaths each day remain among highest of any country in the world.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Will Ripley, in Hong Kong. New Zealand is deploying hundreds of army troops to guard isolation hotels where patients kept in isolation along with family members and close contacts.

This, as the nation continues to test tens of thousands of people per day. On Wednesday, they only identified six new cases. That is lowest

number this week.

A sign the social distancing measures, including a lockdown of New Zealand's largest city of Auckland, seem to be working.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for that.

While the pandemic has pushed many retailers to the brink, many even going out of business, a few are seeing record sales.

That includes Target, which just posted blowout profits this morning. The chain saying it's had its strongest company growth in company history.

CNN's Alison Kosik joins me now. She's looking closer at this.

Alison, clearly, there's a tale of two retailers, if you could say that, happening across the country. So many struggling. A few doing amazingly.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Between the big and little guys, certainly right about that, Kate. Target certainly hitting the bull's-eye on this one.

We're seeing how there are winners and losers in the retail space when it comes to the pandemic economy. With winners being big-box retailers, like Target and Walmart, as we heard that yesterday. Cashing in as Americans stock up on goods and also go ahead and shop online.

If we look specifically at Target, during the quarter from May to July, Target says, for stores open at least a year, they saw sales jump 24 percent to $22 billion. That's the biggest quarterly growth Target has seen in its history.

Target's CEO Brian Cornell putting it this way. Look, as Americans haven't been able to spend their money on vacations or do normal summer activities, they've redirected their dollars to places like Target and other retailers, big-box retailers, to spend their money.

It doesn't hurt that big-box retailers, like Walmart and Target, that were able to be deemed essential versus non-essential. We're seeing that gap really widen between the big guys and the little guys.

Speaking of the big guys, got to tell you about Apple. Apple becoming the first American company today to be valued at $2 trillion. It took a matter of two years to get here from $1 trillion. Certainly, a milestone for Apple.

[11:55:03]

BOLDUAN: You can't even wrap your mind around that number at this point, quite honestly.

Alison, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

For the latest business, news, check out "MARKETS NOW," streaming live at 12:45 p.m. Eastern only on CNN Business.

Up next, a big night with big names at the DNC -- at the Democratic convention, President Obama, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton. What to expect from tonight, that's coming up.

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