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Poll: 55 Percent of FDNY Firefighters Wouldn't Get Vaccine if Offered One by the Department; Mayors in More than 2 Dozen Cities Join Initiative to Provide Stimulus Money to Some Residents. Aired 10:30- 11a ET

Aired December 09, 2020 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST (voice-over): Rachel Hodge, every day is a juggling act

RACHEL HODGE, PARENT: Trying to make ends meet and being able to go to school to further my education.

GOLODRYGA: In addition to raising two daughters Hodge works full time as a housekeeper in a hospital and is studying online to be a social worker. So when both of her daughter schools in Newark, New Jersey announced they would continue fully virtual instruction for the fall semester, Hodge knew something had to give.

HODGE: I really didn't know how I was going to do this.

GOLODRYGA: Five-year-old Vanessa was doing a start kindergarten at the KIPP THRIVE Academy. But with her mother at work all day, the only available childcare came in the form of a daycare center. Logging into class was not an option.

HODGE: At the end of the day education is what really matters. I was upset with myself that I had to sacrifice her education so I could be able to work.

GOLODRYGA: Vanessa miss school almost every day. And she wasn't alone.

MEREDITH EGER, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: We had a few scholars that were absent majority of September and almost all of October.

GOLODRYGA: Meredith Eger is a new kindergarten teacher this year at the KIPP charter school system. She has yet to meet her students in person.

EGER: Vanessa, can you come off mute and tell us our Zoom classroom rules.

GOLODRYGA: At the start of the school year, she still hadn't met many online either.

EGER: They needed something to help those kids that were absent.

You got it.

GOLODRYGA: So KIPP launched garden night school, a separate class from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., in addition to teaching kindergarten during regular school day hours.

EGER: So good evening --

GOLODRYGA: For those students or scholars, as they're called at KIPP who couldn't be online during the day, 11 have signed up so far, including Vanessa.

EGER: Vanessa, can you tell us who you are hello to?

GOLODRYGA: Even if the hours aren't normal? I see you're in the car. So don't worry about it. The instruction is Does anyone remember? Vanessa, what is it and it's made a huge difference for families like Hodges

HODGE: It kind of alleviated a lot of the stress and anxiety and also my worries of is she getting the adequate quality education that a kindergartener should be able to get.

GOLODRYGA: With crucial life skills beyond just academics.

EGER: It's how they're learning how to go to school, how to make friends.

GOLODRYGA: Studies also show a quality kindergarten education can have a big impact on college attendance and earnings later in life, which is why declines in kindergarten enrollment across the country during the coronavirus pandemic are especially alarming and forcing schools to think outside the box to get kids online for class.

So nine, 10 weeks in how's this experiment going so far?

EGER: I think it's going great. Secondly, started evening learning program they have not missed one day.

GOLODRYGA: It's been an adjustment having kids do their schooling when they would usually be getting ready for bed.

EGER: And it's getting close time to bedtime and everything. So I definitely want to try and keep them moving.

GOLODRYGA: But there are also some silver linings.

EGER: I see a lot more parents sitting with their scholars at night because they're home.

HODGE: So it works out really well. She's really independent. All I have to pretty much do for her is log on the computer.

GOLODRYGA: While Hodge anxious for schools to reopen, she's grateful that, thanks to some creative, unconventional thinking, her little scholar can still attend kindergarten.

VANESSA PARKER, ATTENDS KINDERGARTEN NIGHT SCHOOL: I'm fine it finding it on the computer because I get to stay home.

I'm learning a lot more in kindergarten.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

GOLODRYGA (on camera): And good for Vanessa. You really get a sense of how resilient children like Vanessa are how important it is for them to be part of their community at school with their teachers, no matter the time, right? As we said, this has been a struggle for millions of families across the country. The goal is to get kids back into school. But this requires creative thinking now that we're in the midst of a pandemic.

And there's one school just came up with this. There's another one in Georgia doing the same. We owe our children more ideas like this one.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: For sure.

SCIUTTO: God bless that little girl doing the hard work at night.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Yes.

HARLOW: For sure, for sure. And her mother.

Bianna, thanks for bringing us these solutions.

GOLODRYGA: Sure.

HARLOW: We appreciate it.

Well, there's a new poll out and it shows the majority of firefighters right here in New York City say they will not get a COVID-19 vaccine. We're going to talk to the Commissioner of the FDNY about why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:38:48]

HARLOW: Welcome back.

Well, an approved COVID vaccine might literally just be a day away. But we're learning that some first responders at the top of the list might not want it.

A recent poll of New York City firefighter shows that more than half would turn down the opportunity to get vaccinated if offered by the department. The FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro is with me now.

Good morning, Commissioner. And thank you so much for being here.

DANIEL NIGRO, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Good morning, Poppy.

My pleasure.

HARLOW: So let's -- let's start with you. Will you get the vaccine?

NIGRO: Absolutely.

HARLOW: OK.

NIGRO: Why not.

HARLOW: So why -- what are you going to do about the 55 percent of your colleagues, those who work for you who responded to this poll and said that they are -- they are not going to get the vaccine?

NIGRO: Well, one of our unions, the UFA, did the poll and I'm, you know, I'm glad that they're interested in involved and they are good partners in this.

I don't think it's unusual. I think around the country, around the world, what I've seen is anywhere from 40 percent to 60 percent of folks either indicate they would not take it or had trepidation about taking it.

[10:40:00]

And I think complicating it here in my department is because of our interaction over these past nine months, a third of our membership, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, more than 5,000 of us have had COVID.

HARLOW: Right.

NIGRO: So many folks believe that having COVID, having the antibodies, they don't need the vaccine. But we have to follow the science and the science tells us even if you've had COVID, you should take the vaccine.

HARLOW: Yes.

NIGRO: So, we'll try to educate our folks as best we can. The union is partners with us on this. And I think that number will go up, especially as members see that there are not serious side effects.

HARLOW: Yes.

NIGRO: And realize that taking this vaccine is wise.

HARLOW: You guys have even put together this fact sheet here, where you have to highlight the science and all the facts. And obviously that's because there is so much disinformation, unfortunately, across the internet about these vaccines.

I wonder if you are considering mandating the vaccine for any firefighter who wants to come to work, kind of like a lot of like the New York City public schools do for, you know, flu vaccine, et cetera. NIGRO: Well, flu vaccine is not mandated that I -- that I know of anywhere. I think going back in time of it --

HARLOW: OK, there are some -- there are many schools here in New York City, I hear you on that. Some may not. There are many schools here in New York City, my children schools do, for example, flu vaccine, but a number of MMR vaccines, et cetera, are mandated. So I just wonder if you think --

NIGRO: Yes.

HARLOW: -- have you thought about mandating for your -- for your folks?

NIGRO: We've looked into it. And as far as, you know, state government, city government, health and hospitals here in New York City is not advocating for mandating that. So there is no template for us to do that.

Right now, we'll just try to get people to do it on their own voluntarily. Really preach to them how important it is. And it is important.

Today, Dr. Fauci is quoted as saying it's -- he equates it with the polio vaccine.

HARLOW: Yes.

NIGRO: And I remember, you know, in the '50s, when I was in elementary school, rolling up my sleeves and getting the polio vaccine, and being happy to do so because I had a cousin who had polio.

HARLOW: Yes.

NIGRO: And I took it as, you know, a great step. And I think people should look at it that way that, you know, nearly 300,000 people have died in this country of COVID. And taking this vaccine is a good thing for them, for their family and for the public that we serve.

HARLOW: It's interesting you bring up polio, because it amazes me that in the same year that finally they were able to eradicate polio across Africa, just you know, got announced in August. That there has been so much pushback in this country, disinformation spread about these vaccines that can save lives, of course, online as well.

But let me end on this. I don't think this gets nearly enough attention. And that is the mental health impact on all of the men and women that work for you.

Back in March, at the beginning of this pandemic, "The New York Times" had reported that your members had reached a level in terms of responses and call volume only seen after 9/11 in this city, and they had to go into people's homes and apartments. Hospitals were so packed, they had to decide, you know, if these folks were people that could be saved by taking them to the hospital, the toll of that is hard to wrap your head around. What can be done for them? Do you have enough resources on the mental health aspect of this after the pandemic ends?

NIGRO: I think you said it perfectly. It's very hard for folks to wrap their head around what happened here.

You know, we had made almost 7,000 calls. And our members were faced with people dying in their homes and have to explain this to families. And it took and continues to take a toll on them.

Our counseling services in our fire department is the most robust of any fire department or EMS system in the country or in the world. And we also have access to outside help.

And we encourage folks, please, if you need help, get help. It's available to you, we will continue to make it available.

And certainly, this has been an extremely difficult time for the brave men and women of the New York City Fire Department. Our EMTs and paramedics and our firefighters that provide medical care have had a very difficult year. And here we are back in a second wave. And they're still standing tall and serving the public. I'm very proud of them.

HARLOW: We are, too, Commissioner Nigro. Thank you very much for what you guys have done during this pandemic.

[10:45:02]

And of course, you know, you've led the effort after 9/11. So, our thanks to you always for that as well.

NIGRO: Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

HARLOW: Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes, New York's bravest there as to call them.

HARLOW: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Well as lawmakers stall on a stimulus deal, still local governments are taking up their own action to help their residents cope. We're going to speak to the mayor who helped spearhead the effort in more than two dozen cities around the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: This morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says lawmakers are still, "looking for a way forward on stimulus hoping for an outcome."

[10:50:02]

When, I mean, looking for a way forward, they've had months to do this. Let's hope they make a deal, Jim. SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, we've been talking about this months. Folks running not only out of patience, but they're going to run out of these benefits.

Congress is still stalled. Some local officials, therefore, are taking matters into their own hands sending monthly assistant checks directly to some of the residents, part of an initiative called Mayor's for a Guaranteed Income.

The founder of that group, Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs joins us now.

Mayor, thanks so much for taking the time this morning.

MAYOR MICHAEL TUBBS, (D-CA) STOCKTON: Thanks so much for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, this is interesting, right, because in looking at the national stimulus, the first one that was passed, it was money that got into people's pockets that in retrospect made the biggest economic difference.

Since last year, you have been testing direct payments, $500 a month to 130 residents. Can you tell us how that work? And do you have sense of how and where they spent this money?

TUBBS: Yes, I didn't have a guaranteed income is one as always this country itself. Thomas Paine was talking about this in the late 1700s. Dr. King was calling for this before he was assassinated.

In Stockton, we decided before the pandemic to test out the idea because we recognize that even before COVID-19, one in two Americans cannot afford the one $500 emergency.

And what we found over the past 18 to 24 months is that people spend money the way you and I spend money. They spend money on their kids, on their finances. They spend money taking time off of work so they can interview for better jobs. They spend money paying for tutoring. One woman spend money paying for dentures.

And particularly during COVID-19 we've seen with the issues in terms of accessing unemployment benefits or issues in terms of getting rapid testing that the (INAUDIBLE) has been enough to allow people to stay home who don't have paid time off. So they weren't out infecting people in their workplaces.

HARLOW: So, the argument, the counter argument, you know, is often, well, it's a disincentive to go to work. And that's an argument that some politicians have used against more stimulus even though the data out of University Chicago, et cetera, does not back that up.

Now, you've got 15 million more dollars from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, like the private sector stepping in where Congress has failed this time around to act. How many people is that money going to go to and how -- for how long?

TUBBS: Yes, well, no, let me just -- I think the point you raised is a great one. The fact that we're using philanthropy to provide for the necessities for American citizens, this is really an indictment on mainly Majority Leader McConnell in the Republican led Senate is unacceptable that myself and other mayors have to go talk to tech CEOs and other private individuals, about ensuring that our residents had enough to pay for rent, to pay for medicine, to pay for food, all while being deemed essential workers and working in workplaces and communities oftentimes, where people aren't taking the virus seriously and not wearing mask.

So I think that in terms of the notion of a guaranteed income, it's one that should be beyond the parson sort of dichotomy. It's just really about in the richest country on earth during a global pandemic, what can we do to make people safe.

SCIUTTO: Right.

TUBBS: And as you mentioned, the $1200 checks, actually cut poverty, just that one check. So it's confusing to me, I think, confusing to the majority of the American people as to why we can't get a deal that helps both Democrats and Republicans in terms of providing the economic stimulus needed to persist during this pandemic.

SCIUTTO: OK. Unfortunately, you were not reelected. And I wonder if you consider that a referendum at all on this plan?

TUBBS: Absolutely no. If it was a referendum, we wouldn't have 30 mayors signing up to do it, right? I think my reelection of running get this talk in politics was actually at the hands of a four year disinformation campaign using Facebook and Google Analytics to stop racism and bias and painful stories. But I think the loss has actually made the case stronger, that this idea has been worth fighting for and that any politician who centers equity, who cares about the concerns of all people, who's anti-white supremacy, should expect some pushback doesn't stop the work. The work definitely has to continue.

HARLOW: Well, Mayor, Michael Tubbs, we appreciate you being here. Very much look forward to seeing what you do next with your career. You're very young. We got a lot ahead of you.

And thank you for being a voice on this -- on this issue. It's important to study. Thanks.

TUBBS: Appreciate that. Thank you.

HARLOW: And thanks to all of you for being with us today. We'll see you tomorrow morning. I'm Poppy Harlow

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto. Thanks for joining us today.

Newsroom with Kate Bolduan will begin right after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you so much for joining us this hour.

Hope and denial, two opposing forces colliding in more and more stark ways over the coronavirus.

Here's some hope for you. A top official with Operation Warp Speed says shots will be in arms within 96 hours of receiving emergency use authorization. That is expected to happen after the big FDA meeting on the Pfizer vaccine tomorrow.

[10:59:25]