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FDA Vaccine Authorization Comes On Deadliest Day Of Pandemic In U.S.; CDC Advisers Meet On Whether To Recommend Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine; Pfizer Prepares For Massive Vaccine Rollout Operation; CEO Of Vaccine Developer BioNTech Speaks With CNN; Senate Runoff Races Draw Big Names To Georgia; Marvel Comic Book Celebrates This Year's Heroes: Nurses. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 12, 2020 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

JOHN AVLON, CNN HOST: And is now approaching another horrific milestone closing in on 300,000 Americans killed by the disease. And as we wait for the vaccines' arrival, hospitals are struggling. The Department of Health and Human Services saying that 85 percent of hospitals across the country have more COVID-19 patients last week than they did a month ago. And the sad reality of all of this is that more and more people will die waiting for the vaccine.

Now we're covering all the angles of this vaccine from the authorizations to the distributions with reporters across the country. So let's start with that CDC advisory committee meeting that's happening right now. CNN's Jacqueline Howard, following the latest developments. Jacqueline, we have this emergency authorization from the FDA. So, what does today's CDC meeting and vote mean for this highly regulated process?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Yes, John. So, we do have this authorization from the FDA. But now we're going to hear from another public health agency, the CDC, and specifically the committee that's meeting right now at this very moment, is that Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and this is a group comprised of medical and public health experts. And they're the same group that make decisions and discussions around adult and childhood immunization schedules and practices.

So, this group is now looking at COVID-19 vaccine data. And here are the next steps. This meeting that's happening right now, the group's going to vote on whether the CDC should recommend this vaccine for ages 16 and older in an effort to prevent COVID-19. Once that vote happens, which is expected at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time this afternoon. Once that vote happens, it then goes to the CDC director and then the CDC, it's up to the CDC to accept the committee recommendations. Once the CD does that, then we can expect to see vaccinations being administered.

AVLON: Jacqueline, it's such an important moment for our country. And today the CDC said that they're going to recommend the vaccine, even for those previously infected by the disease. That's kind of stunning. What are you learning about that decision? HOWARD: It is interesting, that was a part of the discussions happening right now during the advisory committee meeting. And, you know, it is something that is coming up. The reason behind this discussion, there is data that there could be the risk of reinfection among people who have recovered from COVID-19. So, that's why, you know, there is discussion around of course, you know, recommending the vaccine for people who have had it.

But of course, there also is, you know, the caution that if you are currently dealing with a coronavirus, infection, if you currently have COVID-19, you shouldn't get the vaccine. The discussion that happened today, it looks like they said that vaccination should be deferred for at least 90 days if you currently have an infection. But for those who are recovered, there is this recommendation to get vaccinated.

AVLON: Jacqueline Howard, thank you for all that breaking news reporting. And now that the vaccine is authorized, the massive distribution effort begins and getting the vaccine where it needs to go and making sure it's intact when it gets there, it's going to require a logistical rollout for the ages. We've got Pete Muntean advisors main manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Pete, what's been going on there since the big announcement?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we know that Pfizer says vaccine will start leaving here starting tomorrow morning. What's so interesting is that we know this spot is critical to the vaccine distribution network, Pfizer's largest facility when you're Kalamazoo, Michigan. Operation Warp Speed says vaccines leave here direct for 636 individual locations. Those are places like hospitals, pharmacies, CVS and Walgreens.

Operation Warp Speed says vaccine will arrive in those spots starting on Monday morning with the bulk of the shipments arriving on Tuesday. It'll be FedEx and UPS handling those packages. UPS in the East, FedEx in the West, UPS says months of planning has gone into this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WES WHEELER, PRESIDENT, UPS HEALTHCARE: People embedded in at the Pfizer location in Michigan, and they will be helping Pfizer to dispatch packages and they will be loaded onto a trailer, dedicated trailer with an escort and they will drive five hours to Louisville, Kentucky and then they'll be dispatched around to the states that were assigned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: This is not just a ground game, John. Also a massive air operation, the FAA is directing airports to be ready for vaccine shipments regardless of whether or not they were planning on them already. The FAA says delivery trucks need priority access to the airfield and that security should be stepped up. You know, this could be the beginning of the end for this pandemic, but it's just the start of a massive movement here in Michigan. John?

AVLON: Pete Muntean there at the Pfizer facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Thank you very much. All right now distribution is massively complicated.

[13:05:00]

AVLON: But ultimately boils down to a two-step process. First, vaccine gets to the hospitals and other key locations and then it's up to the medical professionals. We're going to determine who and when we'll get the shots in the arms. Polo Sandoval is at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Polo, how're preparations going?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, John, drive staff and officials at this hospital offers some insight into what many hospitals across the country will actually be doing possibly the next 24 to 48 hours when those deliveries actually happen. Now, authorities here at this particular hospital, they haven't been told exactly how many doses they'll be getting. But it did offer some insight on what will happen when that actually happens.

Those deliveries, those packages that Pete just mentioned a little while ago, there will actually be greeted at the door by security personnel at this particular hospital, they will be escorted all the way to the hospital facility where they would potentially be stored here thought and eventually ending up in the arms of many of these staff members here at this particular hospital. That answers the question of exactly who would be the recipients of those not only staff, but also even some non-COVID patients as well, to make sure that they would be guaranteed at least some level of protection.

The goal would be to vaccinate as many people as they can within the next three weeks. I want you to hear directly from the senior pharmacy director here at Lenox Hill Hospital describing exactly why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BOWERSKI, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PHARMACY AND CLINICAL SERVICES, LENOX HILLS HOSPITAL: They have this one-third algorithm from the state that basically there's -- they're recommending that you take your high acuity areas and you break your staffing down into thirds. And then over the course of a week do a third and then another third and then another third. So, as the state looks at it, over the course of three weeks, you'll have inoculated everybody in a high-risk area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Paul Bowerski also answered the question of why not automatically vaccinate everybody that you can, offering a good example here, why not vaccinate your entire ICU staff? Well, it's also reminding us that this is simply an emergency use authorization versus a full FDA-approval, meaning we don't have that full side effect profile. So, the concern would be that there would be a rare event where many of their staff members would potentially present.

Some of those minor side effects that we've heard the FDA lay out like that fever, like those chills, like fatigue, and some of those staff members would potentially have to remain at home for a day or two. So, should that actually happen, the concern will be that there would be some possible staff shortages, again, that is extremely unlikely, but it's still well within the realm of possibility.

And that is a chance that hospital officials, at least at this particular location, are not willing to take. And that is why they're actually staggering those vaccinations over the next two or three weeks for now.

AVLON: Paul, it's such an important point. And look, this vaccine is not exactly easy to handle. So, how hospitals like Lenox Hill getting ready to administer it?

SANDOVAL: So, you know, it's obviously going to be a very temperature sensitive item here. So that's one of the reasons why they have made sure that their infrastructure that their equipment is ready to actually receive that. Remember, it's actually going to be received at about negative 60 to negative 90 degrees in ultra-frozen state. And then it will have to be handled in accordance not only with the FDA, the CDC but also the manufacturer.

In this case, Pfizer's protocols so that they can make sure that it continues to remain effective. And interesting note here, those packages, John, though actually being received with an indicator that will have a red or green light. If the light is red, that will immediately contact the manufacturer to make sure that the integrity of that vaccination isn't jeopardized before they finally make those vaccines available to their staff. And as soon as they get them, there'll be a ministry that is -- at this particular location, John.

AVLON: Fascinating stuff. Polo Sandoval at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Thank you very much. All right. We know the vaccine has to be kept in extremely cold temperatures, as you just heard, and in order to do that, you need dry ice. So the people in Western Washington who manufacture process and distribute dry ice are scrambling to make more and have it distributed around the world. CNN affiliate reporter, Gary Horcher has the details.

GARY HORCHER, KIRO 7 REPORTER: When you talk about extreme cold in here, the dry ice capsules you see here, these pellets 109 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. That is enough to freeze your skin on contact if I'm not wearing gloves is to be really dangerous. But it will take literally tons of this to deliver the ultra-cold Pfizer vaccine around the world. There has never been more demand in history for a product to save lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HORCHER (voice-over): It's a chilling industry you probably never considered before. But very soon with the promise of a vaccine which must be kept at 94 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. All of our lives will depend on the heavy lifting from the men and women who have quietly made, cut and shoveled tons of solid carbon dioxide. Reliant Dry Ice manager Caleb Stone has been around the dry ice business. But he never imagined the sudden critical role dry ice will play and keeping the vaccine stable and safe for deliveries to millions of people waiting to resume their normal lives.

[13:10:03] CALEB STONE, MANAGER, RELIANT DRY ICE: Delivering the hospitals, delivering the medical clinics and things like that is something that we're used to.

HORCHER (voice-over): But dry ice is constantly fogging itself back into a gas. So 10 pounds of dry ice literally disappears within 24 to 36 hours. That's why it'll take a lot of fresh dry eyes to keep the vaccine stable during transport and storage.

STONE: It's an honor to be a part of it. And we're just taking one step at a time. There's still a lot of unknowns. But my phone has been ringing off the hook. I've been getting a lot of e-mails, a lot more than usual.

HORCHER (voice-over): The demand on this industry to save our state and our country will be historic. And Caleb says they're ready.

STONE: We want to be that spoken now we'll -- that helps protect lives.

HORCHER (voice-over): He says it might take more workers to keep up but they won't know every detail about this staggering need until the vaccines are here.

STONE: And we're just hard-working guys who are wanting to do our part to help in that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: The dry ice industry hitting overdrive. CNN's affiliate reporter Gary Horcher reporting there. Now coming up, President Trump's plan to overthrow the election hits a dead end. The Conservative Supreme Court shuts the door on a major lawsuit. So what now, some report Republicans are so upset with the ruling that one of them is floating the idea of secession. What Trump supporters are saying before Monday's Electoral College vote.

Then later, heroes in the hospital and heroes in print. A nurse joins me to talk about how her story ended up in a comic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

AVLON: The Supreme Court has rejected a Trump back lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General that tried to block millions of votes in four key battleground states. But the President is vowing to fight off. CNN Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider has more.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The Supreme Court has spoken and it is game over for what was a long shot lawsuit that gain support for more than 100 Republicans in Congress, nearly two dozen Republican attorneys general, the justices on the Supreme Court have spoken for the second time this week, shutting down Republican efforts to stop Joe Biden for becoming president. The Supreme Court putting it this way.

Texas has no right to even file this lawsuit at the high court because Texas has no right to legally challenge how another state conducts its elections. And in this case, of course, Texas was challenging the election procedures have four battleground states. Now in this order from the Supreme Court, two have the most conservative justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said that they believe the Supreme Court should have at least let Texas file the case.

But then these two justices said if that had happened, they too would have rejected it. So, this is a complete rejection of the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his efforts to stop the electors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia, from voting for Joe Biden when they meet on Monday. Now, this was a short order, just one page and just a few sentences in it. But this is a major defeat for Republicans. And it's a victory to all of the states and officials who blasted this effort by Texas.

In fact, officials in Pennsylvania called it "A cacophony of bogus claims that called for a seditious abuse of the judicial process." And the Supreme Court seemed to agree in a Friday order that kept up a week two Supreme Court rejections of Republican efforts. And of course, there have been repeated shutdowns of cases across the country by other state and federal judges. This one, just the latest. Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

AVLON: All right. Joining me now to discuss more about all of this is Doug Heye, Republican strategist, CNN political commentator. Doug, good to see you. So, the Supreme Court was clear, this is the end of the road, but the president just tweeted this morning, we have just begun to fight. So Doug, what's it going to take for the President to recognize reality, respect our democracy and stop these frankly, pathetic attempts to overturn our election?

DOUG HEYE, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: John, after four years of this, I don't think there's anything that it's going to take for Donald Trump to recognize reality, or at least publicly, so many of the Republicans who signed on to the amicus brief to the Supreme Court case, who will privately tell you, this is a bad idea. I don't like this, but publicly say, I'm all for it. I'm all on the Trump train. And I'll tell you, John, you know, when the day Clarence Thomas was nominated, Supreme Court Justice, I was an intern.

I was I was watching the T.V. report on CNN, from Jesse Helms' office, I was interning in the Senate for Senator Helms. Pretty conservative guy. And if you had told me back then in 1991, that Clarence Thomas could now be dismissed as a rhino, I would tell you, you're absolutely crazy.

Of course, I wouldn't have seen any of the last four years happening. But this is the dangerous path that so many Republicans have taken. Am I surprised by it? No. But it's maddening and disappointing, and unfortunately, is going to continue.

AVLON: But that's what I want to get to because it's not just about the president to your point. It's more than just expressing displeasure. But some Republicans are taking it further, even floating the idea of secession in response, that's the chair of the Republican Party in Texas sending out this statement following the Supreme Court rejects and saying, "Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a union of states that will abide by the constitution."

Historically resonant language there, but Doug, your party, the party of Lincoln, now has state leadership talking about seceding from the union. So, what's your advice on how you can get some patriotic sanity to reassert itself inside the Republican Party?

HEYE: Yes, look, I don't think there are a lot of people would listen to that advice. And unfortunately for the party of Lincoln, you know, we're not learning the lessons of what happened in the sprint in the Civil War. Didn't go well, for my home state of North Carolina. It didn't go well for Texas, you know, for instance, and that Texas Republican chairman is Allen West, a former Republican member from Florida. And he was a great team member for the Republican conference.

He raised a lot of for every Republican member for this for the congressional committee, regardless of how conservative or how moderate you are as a Republican.

[13:20:07]

HEYE: But we go to -- let's use that operative term fundraising, the more extreme the statement you put out, the more money you can raise. That's an unfortunate reality in American politics right now, but that's what's playing out right now and in my party, and it's so distressing to see.

AVLON: What you're saying is the incentive structure is all screwed up. But let's talk about some constitutional realities. The Electoral College meeting on Monday to confirm Biden's win. Now, you worked in Congressional leadership. So look, this is -- for all those constitutional conservatives this is one of those dates that matters. So, do you think that will finally serve as a turning point for Republicans, at least a majority of them to accept Biden as president- elect? And if not, what will, Inauguration Day?

HEYE: Well, I think you'll start to see some changes in the language where you've seen some senators and members of Congress say, well, presumably, there may be a President-elect Biden, once the electoral college is met. You can remove the word presumably at it. And I'll tell you, John, I was at the electoral college vote when George W. Bush beat Al Gore. And Al Gore presided over his own vote over his defeat. That was an amazing historical moment. That was a great moment for the country.

Obviously, we're far removed from that, hopefully, Monday, we can see some Republicans start to turn the corner on their language, because the reality is, they all want to put Donald Trump in their rearview mirror and they're not able to, but the big date for me is not Monday, it's not an Inaugural Day. It's January the 5th. Those two Senate seats are a big part of what's keeping the rhetoric about Donald Trump and what happened in Georgia continuing,

AVLON: And we're going to be getting to that, but I'm glad you mentioned Bush v. Gore, because today is the 20th anniversary. It was 20th anniversary today, but the Supreme Court decided five-four to hand the presidency effectively to George W. Bush, you were part of that Bush recount, and even part of the so called Brooks Brothers riot. So, I wonder looking back, what were the moments for example, that Brooks Brothers riot?

Was that a step too far in terms of trying to intimidate the process? Has that seed sprouted into something you never intended?

HEYE: No, you know, if you go back to that, I remember that day so clearly, we were chanting let us in, let the publican because the vote was happening, or the vote counting was happening behind closed doors, we chanted let them in, them being the media because the media needed to see the vote counting as well. That's when the camera lights certainly turned on. When we chanted that. We also counted and this is a far cry from what we're hearing today. Count every vote.

Everything that we said it did in Miami at the Brooks Brothers revolt, which I'm proud to have been a part of, and the Bush -- the Bush, Cheney, Bush-Gore recount fight. I'm proud to be a part of or constitutional principles that we can agree or disagree on, but are light years away from where we are right now. And what's so unfortunate to me is a lot of the Republicans that I see aping the rhetoric, parroting the rhetoric of Donald Trump were there in Florida.

And unfortunately, again, it's about that incentive structure that you mentioned about raising money and getting paid.

AVLON: That guy, thank you very much. All right, this just in --

HEYE: Thank you.

AVLON: President-elect Joe Biden just finished a follow up appointment on his sprained foot. He walked out up presidential -- Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia just moments ago, where doctors use a CAT C.T. scan to get a closer look at his injury. And what happened when he was playing with his dog Major two weeks ago. Biden says his initial discomfort and swelling have decreased and his doctor says the president-elect is healing as expected.

All right. Still ahead. A CNN exclusive. We go one on one with the developer of the Pfizer vaccine. He says the two-dose shot will have a significant impact on coronavirus spread by Spring.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:23:07]

AVLON: One day after the FDA gave the green light for an emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine. The company is preparing to begin its distribution from a warehouse in Michigan tomorrow. That company says it will reach 145 distribution sites by Monday. The vaccine was co-developed by Pfizer along with its German partner BioNTech. And CNN's Fred Pleitgen had an exclusive interview with the company's CEO.

Fred is outside the BioNTech headquarters in Mainz, Germany right now. Fred, what's the CEO telling you? FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's seeing a lot of really interesting things. One of the things, John, that I asked him is how long he actually thinks that this vaccine is going to work. How long is the immunization going to last? He says, of course right now, still way too early to tell how long exactly but he thinks in the future. This could be something that people could get, for instance, every two years to keep immunization against the coronavirus up.

He also thinks that in the future, when there is full approval that this might be the kind of vaccine that people could actually get from early childhood to keep the virus at bay in general. But one of the big questions I asked them is, when is this stuff actually going to have an effect on the terrible situation in the United States. He did say, of course, the jobs are going to go out very quickly in the next couple of days.

But it's going to be a few months before enough people have received the vaccine for to actually make a difference on the trajectory of the pandemic. Here's what Ugur Sahin had to say

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UGUR SAHIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BIONTECH: It could happens beginning March, mid-March, mid of March, end of March to see the first effects and I hope that was the Spring season we will have by nature a lower rate of infections and the combination of both might help us to have a more a better Summer, then then then the situation is now

PLEITGEN: What steps are being taken to really upgrade and really speed up production as fast as possible?

SAHIN: We anticipate that that the -- that the need, the word the need for a vaccine is much higher than we initially estimated.

[13:30:07]

And now, of course, understanding that more doses might be required, we started a few weeks ago to evaluate if we can produce more doses.

And this, of course, means that we need to understand the constraints, for example, the availability of raw materials, the availability of machines, of production rooms, and of fill-and-finish capacity. And this is exactly happening.

And I anticipate that, end of January, we will be able to clearly state if we can produce more and if so, how many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So they're already working, BioNTech, on ways of accelerating the production. They just brought another factory near Germany to try and get that going faster.

But the other thing, John, that we've been talking about so much are the issues with storing and shipping the vaccine at around minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

They're working on a possible formulation that could allow it to be stored or shipped at least at room temperature or refrigerated temperature which, of course, would make things easier.

He thinks they might achieve that maybe in the latter half of 2021 -- John?

AVLON: Fascinating. A reminder this is a worldwide effort to save lives.

Fred Pleitgen at BioNTech's headquarters in Germany. Thank you.

The vaccine distribution comes as the U.S. is seeing its worst day of the pandemic so far. Friday saw the highest number of deaths, over 3,300. And more hospitalizations and new cases than any day since the pandemic began.

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi is with me from Austin, Texas. He's a primary care physician, internist and pediatrician.

Dr. Gandhi, what are you seeing right now in your health center?

DR. PRITESH GANDHI, PRIMARY PHYSICIAN, INTERNIST & PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST: Well, first of all, thanks for having me today.

Look, I would be lying if I told you that things have been going well down here. It is tough going.

We have seen a significant increase in the number of hospitalizations, in new cases.

And the percent positivity has increased. Often people don't see this clearly because, if you look at numbers regionally, we're sitting around 5 percent to 6 percent.

But community health centers like ours have seen an increase in percent positivity from 4 percent just a few weeks ago to 30 percent last week.

And so we have these pockets of intense community transmission. And I know folks are fatigued.

AVLON: That is a horrific statistic. And it shows just how things are happening on the ground.

That's the other question. We've got this massive roll-out, this logistical miracle that's happening.

But on the ground, you are where the rubber meets the road. When it comes to the roll-out of the vaccine, what are you hearing at the facility about when it will be available and how you'll implement it.

GANDHI: It's going to take time. We know there are high-priority centers, like hospitals, that have to have access to this vaccine first. And we've seen that. Some of our local hospitals here have received

notification and they are preparing to receive the vaccine and to start distribution of that vaccine.

But for the vast majority of frontline health care providers and primary care, federally qualified health care centers like mine and others, we're still a ways out.

We don't have the kind of deep freezers that allow us to use the Pfizer vaccine effectively. We may have to wait for other vaccines to come up in the pipeline.

So there's this gap still. We know that states have requested billions of dollars to fund this effort, and so far have received in the tune of millions of dollars.

There's a gap in terms of the logistics. And I think that is causing a bit of concern.

AVLON: It's such an important point. There you are in the heart of Texas and you're saying there could be a real delay.

Do you have any idea when you think you'll be putting the first shots into arms?

GANDHI: I don't know yet. We're ready to go. We have our workforce team that meets regularly on what we're going to do with the vaccine, how we're going to send it out to our patients.

We're ready with our drive-through testing sites and our drive-through vaccine sites. We are ready from beginning to end. All we need is this vaccine.

And I know the state is working hard on this. But the issue here is scale, right?

And we've been down this road before. Earlier this year, and even now, we have struggled with our PPE supply chains. We've put together a mismatch of policies and protocols and systems in place to deliver PPE.

But without strong federal oversight of this program, it's going to be difficult.

I've been encouraged by what I've heard from the incoming Biden team on what they'll do to distribute this vaccine.

But this is the fight now. It's not just about approving a vaccine. How do we deliver it to the American people?

AVLON: There's another hurdle ahead, Dr. Gandhi. And it's one we're starting to get a sense of. We're seeing this vaccine come out in a way that could save lives at a time when the death rate and hospitalizations are spiking.

[13:35:03] But still, there's this fear-based resistance. This disinformation effort causing some folks to say maybe they won't get the vaccine because they buy into some conspiracy theories.

When people come to you with those concerns, what do you tell them?

GANDHI: First of all, I want to acknowledge that people are afraid. Even when you look at Google trends over the last few weeks, if you type in mRNA and cancer and vaccine, you'll see searches for this sky high.

I am very honest. And scientists and public health professionals and politicians need to be honest with the American people.

What I tell my patients is that I am going to get this vaccine. I'm going to sign up for it. And when my kids are able to take the vaccine, they are going to get it, too.

It's because I believe in science. I believe in the scientists that have dedicated their careers to do this work.

And I know and I feel the trauma and the struggle that they are going through.

If you are coming into my clinic for a day -- earlier this week, I sent a young patient to the hospital, just over 30 years old, in respiratory failure.

There's such struggle every day. People are hungry. People are worried about their jobs.

And when we talk about the vaccine, we say, look, this vaccine and the science behind it has been developed by all Americans, by people of color, by Republicans and Democrats.

It has gone through independent verification process. It is safe. And the side effects of this vaccine are nothing compared to the side effects of another year or two of turmoil.

I have faith that that message can come through to the American people. We just have to get out there and say it.

AVLON: Listen to the good doctor.

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, thank you very much for the advice.

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: For more on the coronavirus vaccine, watch "STATE OF THE UNION" tomorrow morning at 9:00. FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, will join our Jake Tapper, along with Al Gore, Bill Gates, and much more.

Up next, Republicans and Democrats pulling out all the stops in two Senate runoff races in Georgia. We'll talk about the big names that are hitting the campaign trail, the political strategies, and all the big spending. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:17]

AVLON: Everyone in American politics has Georgia on their mind. Just 24 days left until Georgia's two critical runoff elections, and that's going to decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Doesn't get much bigger than that.

While Democrat Raphael Warnock is holding three rallies there today, we've got a blast from the past. Former V.P. nominee, Sarah Palin, in Georgia stumping for both the Republicans ahead of the January 5th runoffs.

I want to bring in Patricia Murphy, a political reporter with the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution."

Patricia, great to see you.

Let's begin with Sarah Palin. You have her and lawmakers from Texas and Montana and Utah campaigning in a Georgia race.

Some Democrats have been saying don't nationalize this race. Republicans don't seem to have that problem. Or could there be a blowback to all these outsiders?

Well, looks like we might not be hitting Patricia Murphy.

Patricia Murphy, can you hear me?

PATRICIA MURPHY, POLITICAL REPORTER, "ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION": Hello. I can hear you. Yes, absolutely.

AVLON: Well, there you go.

Here's the first question. Sarah Palin coming in to barnstorm. All these Republicans. You hear a lot of Georgia Democrats say don't nationalize this race. Republicans taking a different tact.

Can it work or is there going to be some blowback?

MURPHY: I think they have no choice but to nationalize this race. We know each campaign believes this will be a base election. They have to get their most reliable voters out to the polls.

And that's particularly true on the Republican side. These Republican Senators cannot win without the Trump supporters. Every single one of the Trump supporters.

And that, as you know, that's a hungry bunch. They want proof. They want fight. They want action. They want a lot to look at and a lot to be done to win their votes over.

And these two Senators, on the Republican side, especially bringing in a lot of national figures. Obviously, the president, the vice president, has been here twice in the last week, Sarah Palin. Every tool in the box is coming out for this race.

AVLON: Every tool in the box.

I want you to listen to this from Sarah Palin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN, (R), FORMER VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's what we have to do, too, folks, appeal to heaven. We have to make sure that we are asking God to bless this race on January 5th. How important this is that his will be done.

Hey, I'm really happy, too, that I have that right, that I get to talk about God in public. Heaven forbid that's ever taken away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: Now, of course, the Democrats are actually running a real reverend on the top of one of their two seats, Raphael Warnock, of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Does this rhetoric work with the base right now or is this a blast from the past that, you know, it's no Team Trump?

MURPHY: Well, I think Team Trump is really going to be Team Palin, to be honest. I think that's the same --

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: High overlap?

MURPHY: -- base Republican -- absolutely. High overlap.

I think Sarah Palin's words are going to be music to their ears. Those Trump supporters who really feel this is an existential crisis, that they feel this election has been stolen from them.

If the governor won't help, if the Supreme Court won't help, then maybe God will help. I think that's the direction they're going.

AVLON: God, Sarah Palin, and also Louie Gohmert.

I want you to listen to Louie Gohmert, what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): Some of us still have hope. And that is a hope that endures despite the intimidation we see from the other side. They intimidate. They harass. They try to destroy people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: So you talked about how this has been an existential argument by Republicans. Louie Gohmert playing the victim card in that front.

[13:45:04]

What are you seeing on the ground? It's an uphill climb for Democrats to win special elections in the south. Put on your crystal ball and tell me what you think is going ahead.

MURPHY: I don't know what's going to happen. Nobody knows what's going to happen. That's why --

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: How close -- how close is it? I mean --

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: -- do Democrats have a real shot at this?

MURPHY: Everybody has a real shot at this, John. This state is 50/50 right now.

I do think that Joe Biden was just the right candidate at just the right time for Democrats down here.

Donald Trump was also the right candidate for Democrats to run against.

And even some moderate Republicans went with Joe Biden instead of Donald Trump and those are the voters that Democrats really need to get back. They really need to get back to the polls.

And just really quickly, Gohmert is talking about intimidation. Our secretary of state, our governor, our lieutenant governor, of course, and certainly the secretary of state, getting death threats. His family getting death threats.

The intimidation is real and it's serious and it's certainly happening, at least at our top Republican officials for opposing this president.

Not opposing the president but for standing by the election results after it's been counted and recounted.

AVLON: I'm so glad you mentioned that.

Patricia Murphy, thank you very much for joining us.

We'll be right back.

MURPHY: Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:44]

AVLON: Books will be written about this year. And 2020 has been a time of tragedy and tumult. But it has been also a year of heroes. That inspired Marvel Comics to collaborate with Pennsylvania's

Allegheny Health Network on a comic book celebrating the heroes, the nurses, who are risking their lives to save others every single day.

Joining me now, Sean Ryan, who wrote the comic, and Amanda Belcastro, one of the nurses who inspired "The Vitals."

Amanda, let's start with you.

First off, what is it like to see your story told in a comic book?

AMANDA BELCASTRO, NURSE FEATURED IN MARVEL COMIC BOOK: I was extremely surprised. I was coming out of a patient room and a couple of my managers were sitting at the nurses station and said I need to talk to you. I was like, uh, oh, what did I do.

They showed me the comic book. I was completely surprised. Honestly, I'm honored to be in it because of the nurses all over the country. It is incredible.

Sean, how cathartic was it for you to tell this story with all of the stored-up emotions that got stored up in a year like this?

SEAN RYAN, WRITER, MARVEL COMICS: It was very cathartic. I mean, our frontline workers and nurses are really the true heroes of all of this.

So even just to provide a little bit of thank you to them was extremely cathartic to do.

AVLON: You were able to find a deeper sense of purpose and translate that in a way to carry it forward. We do have to recognize these folks as heroes.

Amanda, I saw your notes. You have been a nurse for a little over a year.

BELCASTRO: Yes, that's correct.

AVLON: What is it like to start your career in the middle of the pandemic. You didn't sign up for this?

BELCASTRO: No. And I don't think any nurse or health care worker signed up for it.

However, it has definitely been a memorable first year. And we are taking it day by day. Everybody is working together so well.

Things change daily, according to what's going on with the pandemic. Yes, it has been an interesting first year to say the least.

AVLON: Well, you guys are doing the heroic work.

Sean, there are so many great examples of when comics take on current events. Superman versus the KKK comes to mind. But this is a worldwide virus, an invisible enemy. How do you approach this kind of a project?

RYAN: Approaching it is just trying to tell the stories as truthfully as I could and try to get across just how heroic the nurses are.

When you write -- the similarity between writing nurses and superheroes is the idea that superheroes always put themselves second or third or fourth. They never are the priority.

That is how I think of the nurses in the story. They are never putting themselves first. They are always putting patients and everyone else first.

You might not see the enemy, but you can see the people the enemy, quote, unquote, "is hurting." Those are the patients.

AVLON: Amanda, there were eight nurses featured in the comic. How were you chosen? What are the others saying about the comic?

BELCASTRO: I was nominated by one of my managers, which I had no idea about. I think it snowballed.

And people caught wind of my story, which was that I had volunteered to take the very first COVID patient that our hospital had seen. It just snowballed from there.

I have not met any of the other nurses actually. I know people have been talking about it all over the hospital.

You know, it has been a big deal. It's been on the local news and everything like that. It is just pretty awesome.

AVLON: Sean, where do we get a copy of this future collector's item?

RYAN: You can get it online. You can get it on marvel.com or the AlleghenyHealthNetwork.com.

Unfortunately, I think the only physical copies are the ones that the health network provided to the nurses. I don't believe you can get it for sale anywhere.

(CROSSTALK)

RYAN: Much to my mother's chagrin.

AVLON: Well, Amanda, I would put that one away for your kids. It could pay for college.

Thank you both.

And speaking of heroes, join Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper for "CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," tomorrow night at 8:00 right here on CNN.

[13:54:52]

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

AVLON: Hello. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Avlon, in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Happening right now, the CDC is on the verge of recommending Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine.

An advisory committee for the CDC is holding a meeting to discuss that very decision as we speak. They could make the recommendation at any moment. The final announcement by the CDC to happen shortly after that.

[14:00:02]

This comes just one day after the FDA green lit an emergency use authorization for that same vaccine.