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AstraZeneca: Vaccine Shows 70 Percent "Average Efficacy"; Warp Speed Chief: Vaccines could be Shipped Mid-December; Thanksgiving Travel Surges Despite CDC Warnings. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 23, 2020 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Let's talk about the vaccine news though. I want to bring in infectious disease specialist, Dr. Amesh Adalja.

And Dr. Adalja, great to have you on. I wanted I wanted to talk to you first about this Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Obviously, efficacy wise, it's quite different from the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines. But in terms of maybe distribution, how is this one different?

DR. AMESH ADALJA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: This is something that doesn't require major cold storage, it's something that can be scaled very quickly, and it's much cheaper. So when you look at the prospect, you're trying to vaccinate the world, it may be that the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine is the one that the world's population gets, because it doesn't have these logistical challenges.

And when it comes to efficacy, you have remember there was two doses that they used. In this one of the dosing regimens did deliver a 90 percent plus efficacy. So, we want to get more information about it. But overall, it's very promising news from AstraZeneca.

BALDWIN: Explain that second point a little bit more, because I do remember that they had to take the average, which landed them at 70 percent. And one was half a dose and then a full total dose versus two vote doses a month apart. Explain how the efficacy has changed, or would change with this particular vaccine and the fact that there are two shots with any of these, how does that work?

ADALJA: So, with AstraZeneca, it's that half dose full dose regimen that somehow prime the immune system to respond better to that second shot.

I know they're actively researching this right now, we don't have a good answer for why it happened. But I think that might be the dose that they go forward with. And then it would be comparable.

But in general, anytime you have something that requires two doses it's going to decrease compliance, because people have to come back for that second shot. And some people may not come back because they forget or they don't worry -- that where they had a reaction, maybe their arm hurt, they got a fever, they don't want to come back for the second shot, so that always makes it difficult.

We do have single dose vaccines, for example, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that are sort of farther back in the pack, but they may eventually be the vaccine that everybody gets a couple of years from now. So, I think it's too early to say but we're going to be stuck with a two dose vaccine. So we've got to get the logistics right with any of these candidates.

BALDWIN: Dr. Adalja, we know that the FDA announced its vaccine advisory committee will meet to discuss Pfizer's emergency use application, that's December 10. What happens in this meeting, and what should we expect to learn?

ADALJA: What happens is they look through all of the data, they pour through the safety data, the efficacy data, they think about how they might approve, how they might give the FDA advice on what age groups it should be approved for. And it's a very kind of long, tedious process. And it sometimes takes hours and hours.

And people will tune in and watch it because it's so important. But it is something that happens with every vaccine. And that's what would lead the FDA to then make a decision on emergency use authorization. So it's in a very important step that remains for the Pfizer vaccine to really become reality and to become a vaccination that people can get.

BALDWIN: Let me play this clip. This is actually from the chief of Operation Warp Speed talking to Jake Tapper about what he thinks will happen after that December 10 meeting. Here you go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval. So I would expect maybe on day two after approval on the 11th or on the 12th of December, hopefully, the first people will be immunized across the United States, across all states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So potential vaccinations, I think he was saying, right, some point in December, do you -- does that hold for you? Is that doable?

ADALJA: It's in the realm of possibility. That's what sort of Operation Warp Speed was about, it was having doses on hand. So as soon as an emergency approval was given, you can basically spring into action.

Hopefully they have all the pathways available to get this into people's arms. I think health care workers and high risk individuals are going to be first. And it is definitely easier to administer this to health care workers who are in places where they can have the vaccine.

But again, there's a lot of logistical challenges. The Pfizer vaccine requires cold storage. And I know they're making farm -- freezer farms in places like Kentucky to be able to do this.

I think it's in the realm of possibility, but I wouldn't kind of wet myself to a specific date here. But I think probably by the end of the year, this will be rolling into the arms of some high risk individuals and priority group individuals as well.

BALDWIN: Dr. Amesh Adalja, you are a wealth of information. Thank you so much.

ADALJA: Thanks for having me.

BALDWIN: You got it.

Coming up next, how the CDC says you should celebrate Thanksgiving safely.

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[15:38:50]

BALDWIN: Well, just like everything else in 2020, the holiday season is about to look a lot different because of this pandemic.

Considering the spread of COVID-19 right now, the CDC is urging everyone to stay put for Thanksgiving. In spite of the warnings though people are still traveling.

The TSA reported at screen more than a million airline passengers. That was just yesterday. That is less than half of last year's volume. But still, the TSA says it is the highest level of travel since the pandemic began.

Let's go now to CNN's Adrienne Broaddus live at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

And Adrienne I'm so curious, you know, has it been busy today? What are travelers telling you?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's empty in comparison to what we saw earlier this morning and over the weekend. But Brooke, more than 3 million people pass through security checkpoints at airports across the country. That's a lot of people traveling, 3 million and it raises another question. Is a meal with your family this Thanksgiving worth the risk especially when doctors are telling us and folks from the CDC say stay home?

Well, I want to bring Yori Mohorn into the conversation. She is a senior college student here in Illinois. And she tells us she's traveling to see her mom and other family.

[15:40:08]

I'm going to ask you that same question we've been asking people all day. Is it worth the risk?

YORI MOHORN, TRAVELING TO SEE PARENTS FOR THANKSGIVING: You know, I believe it is. You know, I've already taken the safety precautions in advance. I had quarantine for over two weeks now. I was quarantine when I was on campus.

And, you know, I did all that so that I could have the opportunity to still see my family. And even when I get down to Georgia, I'm going to be in the house with my family, most of all, you know. So, I think it's more about, you know, minimizing your interaction with other people, and making sure that you're doing everything that you're supposed to do to keep you safe, yourself safe and your family safe.

BROADDUS: So what I hear you saying is something we've heard people say all morning, they desperately need that interaction with their family and the people they love. But just because you're traveling, you're telling us it doesn't mean you haven't been listening, because you said you quarantine for 14 days or longer.

MOHORN: Longer, longer guess. I minimize where I go just in general now. I've been at home -- I've been back home in Chicago for two weeks, been at home the whole time. And the last time I traveled was coming from Carbondale back to Chicago.

BROADDUS: And you feel safe getting on the airplane?

MOHORN: Yes, I feel safe overall.

BROADDUS: All right.

Well, we thank you so much for your time and just sharing your thoughts and your beautiful smile. We see you smiling behind that mask. Safe travels to you.

And Brooke, I can tell you folks with the airline industry tell us they are expecting things to get busier this Saturday and Sunday. And they've added flights because of it.

Back to you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thank Yori for us. And we'll talk to the doctor in a second. But I mean, talk about an incredibly responsible college student they're having quarantine for as long as she has before she heads to see family.

Adrienne, thank you.

Let's talk about all of this with the -- about the dangers, of course, we're facing right now with Dr. Jonathan Reiner, CNN Medical Analyst. He's a cardiologist, Professor of Medicine at George Washington University.

And first, just on the student, because you and I were talking in commercial break and then we'll get into this, but the fact that this, you know, student Yori, had quarantine for two weeks and is heading, you know, down, it sounds like to Georgia, did she passed the test? Does she -- Is she is that OK or she really shouldn't be going anywhere? DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, you know, I think she did the right thing by quarantining. It would be good if she knew her COVID status before she left, but then she has to get home. And travel home is another opportunity to become infected.

So don't forget that a test is just a snapshot in time. And everything that happens to you after that still puts you at risk of infection.

So you know, there are ways of doing this. But it's really hard to do if you're using public transportation, some form of public transport to get home.

BALDWIN: I had read about this Harvard study over the weekend, this recent Harvard study commissioned by the industry found that the risk of transmission on an airplane is, "very low," and that being on an airplane is quote, "as safe, if not significantly safer than going to the grocery store and eating indoors at a restaurant."

But I think what I'm hearing you say is it's not even necessarily the mode of transportation.

REINER: Right.

BALDWIN: It's -- that's the issue with the fact that anyone is going anywhere, period.

REINER: Right. It's not just sitting on the aircraft. It's you know, waiting in the departure lounge, it's going through security, it's stopping in the bathroom, right. It's all kinds of other opportunities.

Now, you may feel like you are social distancing. But, you know, there's a whole world around you. So you know, you're exposing yourself to some risk of infection.

And then you have to remember that, you know, Thanksgiving for a lot of folks, certainly for our family has been multigenerational. And who are you putting at risk?

So typically, you know, my family has Thanksgiving with two other families every year, not this year. Not this year. There are too many people we don't want to put at risk.

One of my daughters is coming home from New York. She quarantine for 10 days. She got tested. She stayed in her apartment, I picked her up the next day. And it's cumbersome.

Even that's probably not foolproof. But that's about as foolproof I think can as you can do it. Very, very cumbersome.

BALDWIN: What about the other argument that people make, which is I've been tested, I tested negative, I'm safe. Is that the case?

REINER: Again, it's a snapshot in time. A test is a snapshot in time.

So, if -- let's say you're going home on Tuesday and you got tested today, well, you don't really know what your status is, you know, later in the week, unless you've been quarantining the entire time before the test for several days, and then after the test.

[15:45:09]

And then again, you have to deal with how exactly are you getting home. So, my suggestion is, for most people in most places, it's better just to stay where you are. We'll have a fabulous Thanksgiving next year.

You know, we can have a new national holiday when we start to return to some form of normalcy, I think in the late spring, early summer. But now let's just take care of ourselves. Let's be careful. And let's try and keep the infection rate as low as possible.

BALDWIN: I agree with you. And let me just hear that again, could have some semblance of normalcy end of spring and summer, I'm going to hang on to that as I FaceTime my family and work here in New York City on Thursday.

REINER: That's right.

BALDWIN: Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you so much. Appreciate all of that.

REINER: My pleasure, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I want to get to this breaking news now, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court just rejected the Trump campaign effort to block counting certain absentee ballots. This clears the way for those ballots to be counted in multiple counties that is including Philadelphia, we should clear that -- which should clear the way for the state to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win there, State of Pennsylvania.

Two of the most promising coronavirus vaccines are getting -- are using a groundbreaking technology that turns the human body into a virus fighting machine. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has all those details, next.

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[15:50:51]

BALDWIN: Big news today in the search for a coronavirus vaccine, Oxford University and drug maker AstraZeneca announced just this morning that their vaccine shows an effectiveness rate of 70 percent on average, that is now in addition to Pfizer and Moderna both have reported 95 percent efficacy rates. Those vaccines could be the first authorized by the FDA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALBERT BOURLA, CEO, PFIZER: This is a starting day, a starting today for science and for all us.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Albert Bourla is CEO of Pfizer. And he's talking about their vaccine for COVID-19.

Two hundred and forty-eight days from an idea to now applying for the vaccine to be authorized. That's just eight months. For context, eight years would have been considered speedy.

But the truth is, the story I'm about to tell you actually began more than two decades ago. And to really understand it, you first have to understand how most vaccines work.

Since the first vaccine for smallpox back in 1796, they've all relied on the same basic concept, give a little piece of the virus also known as antigen to someone not enough to make them sick, and their body will then be taught to make antibodies to it. Those are the proteins that neutralize the virus if it ever tried to invade again, that's what makes you immune.

But what if the body could be taught to do the whole thing, not just make antibodies, but also to make the antigens as well, to essentially become its own vaccine making machine. It's why in the 2000s, Dr. Drew Weissman started focusing on this tiny strand of genetic material that our cells make all the time, it's known as mRNA.

DR. DREW WEISSMAN, UNIV. OF PENNSYLVANIA PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Back then, we were thinking of using it for vaccines, for therapeutic proteins, for gene editing, for lots of different applications.

GUPTA: mRNA stands for Messenger RNA. It carries the instructions for making whatever protein you want.

WEISSMAN: Once you've got the sequence, it's a one-step reaction to make RNA. And that reaction is identical for every vaccine that we make.

GUPTA: If this sounds more like code in a computer, rather than medicine from a lab, that means you're getting it. This is an entirely new way of thinking about vaccines. It's also the basic technology behind Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Vaccines are close by, they're coming. You know, I said help is on the way.

GUPTA: It's truly bio meets tech, the vaccine is not the virus at all. It's essentially just a genetic code for a portion of the virus, this portion, the spike protein.

Why the spike protein, because it's the key the virus uses to enter the human cell. But if you create antibodies to the spike protein, it's then blocked.

So putting it all together, once the vaccine made up of genetic code is administered through a shot in the arm, our own cells then start making the spike protein over and over again.

Now remember, you're just making a part of the virus, so you can't get infected from this vaccine. And within days, after that, the body reacts and starts churning out the antibodies. Plug and play.

WEISSMAN: With RNA, all you need is the sequence of the protein of interest. Within weeks, you can have a new vaccine.

GUPTA: It's a technology that could help lead us out of this pandemic.

FAUCI: We're going to get a heck of a lot of help from a very efficacious vaccine, two vaccines that just two weeks ago and this past week was shown to be extremely effective, I mean, efficacious in 95 percent and 94.5 percent.

[15:55:03]

GUPTA: If true, remarkable results for an entirely new type of vaccine and also a new way of thinking about medicines going forward.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Sanjay, thank you so much.

I want to get you back to our breaking news out of Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court, they're rejecting the Trump campaign effort to block the counting of certain absentee ballots in multiple cases.

Those new details are coming in. Stay right here. You're watching CNN.

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