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White House to Present Data on Duration of Vaccine Protection; U.S Races to Evacuate Thousands of Americans, Afghans; Opening Arguments Begin Today in R. Kelly Federal Trial. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 18, 2021 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Breaking this morning, the Biden administration raising concerns about how long the protection of the vaccine lasts, particularly as the delta variant spreads.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN NEWSROOM: The Department of Health and Human Services revealing this morning that the current protection two-dose vaccines have against severe disease, hospitalization and death could diminish in the months ahead. That's why it says a booster shot will be needed.

Our CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is with us now.

I think clarity is very important here.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

HARLOW: Okay, there's a big difference, as Jim and I have been talking about all morning, between a waning efficacy against getting COVID and a waning efficacy against keeping you alive and out of the hospital. So, which is this?

COHEN: They're finding both, actually. What they're finding when they look at the data is that the vaccine just isn't working as well over time. Now, they've said this for many months now that they thought this might happen and we might need boosters and sort of this has all come home to roost. And now, they're saying, yes, you need a booster if you're more than eight months past your second shot.

So, let's take a look at what the Department of Health and Human Services, FDA, CDC and other agencies said in their release coming out just now. The current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death, this answers your question, Poppy, could diminish in the months ahead especially among those at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccine rollout.

So let's take a look at what this rollout is going to look like. These third shots will start to be offered the week of September 20th. Now, immune-compromised people are already being offered a third shot, but for everybody else, starting the week of September 20th, you would be able to get that third dose eight months after your second dose. In other words, if you were just vaccinated last month, this is not for you. You've got some time to wait. And the priorities will be given to health care workers, nursing home residents and other seniors and also nursing home staff.

Now, the reason for that is that, A, those are people who are at highest risk of either getting COVID or getting very sick from COVID or both, or -- and also, you'll notice, these are the folks who got it a long time ago, is the doctors, the nurses, the nursing home folks. Those are the folks who got it like, let's say, back in January-ish. So now, they will be past eight months. So, they're going to start with the folks most at risk and also the folks who got it the furthest back.

HARLOW: Okay.

SCIUTTO: Understood. Okay. And we should note, I suppose, not unlike the way we approach flu, where every year, you have to get a new shot because they virus itself changes over time.

COHEN: Exactly. And people, I think, might make a big deal out of this. Like, oh, my gosh, a third shot and they told me two would be good. You know what, we've always said, health authorities have always said there might need to be a booster. Not a big deal. When you go to CVS or Walgreens to get your shampoo or toothpaste, roll up your sleeve and get a shot, not a big deal.

SCIUTTO: Understood. Okay. Great context, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.

[10:35:00]

This just in to CNN as well, the Pentagon says that 4,500 U.S. troops have now arrived at the Kabul airport. Our reporting on the ground shows outside the airport, still scenes of chaos and there a couple days ago outside the airport, Afghans just desperate to escape the country. Next, I'll speak with a Democratic congressman who served in Afghanistan, has tough questions for President Biden today.

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[10:40:00]

SCIUTTO: The crucial question this morning with just two weeks left before the U.S. military scheduled withdrawal date in Afghanistan, can the Biden administration safely evacuate the remaining tens of thousands of Americans, but also Afghan allies before that deadline? The White House on Tuesday said the Taliban has committed to providing, quote, safe passage for Afghans trying to get to the airport to flee. But images from the ground in Kabul tell a different story.

We need to warn you, these images you're about to see are disturbing. L.A. Times Photographer Marcus Yam capturing the aftermath after Taliban fighters used, quote, gunfire, whips, sticks and sharp sticks on Afghans who were attempting to reach the airport to escape the country.

Joining me now discuss all this, Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta. He's on the Armed Services Committee. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 as an intel officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was awarded the bronze star. Congressman, thank you for taking the time this morning.

REP. JIMMY PANETTA (D-CA): Thank you, Jim. I appreciate this opportunity.

SCIUTTO: First, I want to ask you, given your personal experience there having served in Afghanistan to see it end this way. Do you feel that the sacrifice you and your fellow service members made were in vain?

PANETTA: Look, I think you've got to realize there are, what, 175,000 men and women in uniform that served. And each and every service member is going to have their own feelings. Now, I was assigned to a special operations task force that basically focused on counterterrorism. We completed our mission. I'm proud of my mission. I'm proud of every single troop that served and sacrificed in Afghanistan. But, clearly, seeing these images that are coming out of Afghanistan at this point is absolutely disappointing, disheartening and border line sickening, to be honest with you. But the way we make up for that is focusing on what you just said, getting those people that we made promises to, getting them out of Afghanistan. And I believe that's the turnaround we need to do right now.

SCIUTTO: I spoke with an interpreter who worked for the U.S. military for a number of years. He's in hiding because of fears for his safety, his family's safety. He put a real pin on it when he said to me, when they needed my help, I helped them, speaking of the Americans, now they should help me.

You said the U.S. has an obligation to get them out. Does it have the ability though given what we're seeing on the ground there? I mean, they control the airport but not much else.

PANETTA: Look, nobody does logistics better than the United States military and that's exactly what we should be doing right now. We should be doing the full force of our logistics capability to get in there and get people out.

Now, the problem is, is, obviously, we have a very difficult situation with this country. We've secured the airport, but what about getting to the airport? What about the roads getting to the airport? Earlier on CNN, you were showing these images of the force that Taliban was using on the people, on the citizens there. It's going to be very difficult for getting there. We need to do everything we can to get them to the airport and get them out of the country.

Now, the problem is, you have close to 22,000 SIVs, special immigrant visas, that we've promised people. But you also have got to realize that includes their family members. That's another 60,000 on top of that 20,000. So, we're looking at 80,000 people that we have to do everything we can to get them out of there. And, obviously, as you mentioned, being on the Armed Services Committee, there's going to be a lot of questions to be asked. But right now, our priority is making sure that we get these people out of that country and live up to our obligation, our moral obligation, our military obligation.

SCIUTTO: Will you call members of the Biden administration, including the national security adviser before your committee to answer questions for how this happened?

PANETTA: I think that's exactly what we should do. I'm actually please that the Senate and the House Foreign Affairs Committees have demanded those types of hearings already. Hopefully, on the Armed Services, we can do the same thing.

Look, I think it's clear we had a plan to withdraw. But we have to ask, where were the other plans? Where was the economic plan? Where was the diplomatic plan? Where was the military plan? Where was the humanitarian plan? Where was the evacuation plan? There's a lot of questions that need to be asked. But, once again, I can't stress enough that the priority right now is getting people off the ground.

SCIUTTO: Ten years ago, as you know, the U.S. pulled out of Iraq, they had to go back in. ISIS rose and it took many years to respond to that militarily. There are concerns about Afghanistan becoming a terror haven again. Al Qaeda was fighting alongside the Taliban against Afghan security forces. Do you believe it's possible the U.S. will have to go back to Afghanistan to address that threat?

PANETTA: Look, that's the last thing we want to do, but it's the first thing to realize we may have to do if Afghanistan becomes a safe haven for terrorists upon which they can launch an attack against Americans and America. We have to make it clear that we cannot, we must not and we will not let that happen in regards to any terrorist activity against the United States of America. That is a priority that we need to instill.

But, once again, right now, considering the conditions on the ground, get the people out of the country.

[10:45:00]

Let's make sure that that place does not become a safe haven once again like it was in the 1990s.

SCIUTTO: Quickly, before we go, of course, President Trump initially signed an agreement to withdrawal while he was president but Biden carried that out. He is the commander-in-chief. Did he make a police take bringing about this withdrawal?

PANETTA: Look, I think President Biden made the best choice of a bunch of worse decisions that he could make. It was a difficult decision that he's standing by. And, yes, as we heard in his speech the other day, he's owning this. Obviously, we're going to have to talk through what else could have been done, what lessons could be learned, what mistakes were done. But in the meantime, once again, let's get people to safety. Let's focus on our priorities, which is evacuating people and making sure that that doesn't become a safe haven for terrorism. But also, let's hope the seeds of human rights we planted, let's hope they take hold there when it comes to the freedoms that were instilled over the last 20 years.

SCIUTTO: We'll be watching closely. Congressman Jimmy Panetta, thanks so much for joining us this morning.

HARLOW: Well, minutes from now the White House COVID-19 response team will hold a briefing. They will share new data, new information about plans for booster shots for Americans. And this comes as a new survey sheds light on in-person learning at schools. The Rockefeller Foundation found 89 percent of parents are planning to send their kids back to class at least one day a week come this fall. The most desired safety measures among parents were classroom ventilation, teacher vaccinations and at least three feet of distancing.

We'll be right back.

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[10:50:00]

HARLOW: Opening arguments start today in R. Kelly's federal trial right here in New York. He is facing multiple counts, including racketeering with underlying charges that include sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping and sex trafficking of women and girls. Kelly's lawyers say they will vigorously defend him.

SCIUTTO: But after years of accusations and an acquittal on child pornography charges more than a decade ago, his accusers say this is another chance at justice.

Joining us now, the man whose reporting led to this moment, Jim DeRogatis, Author of Soulless, The Case Against R. Kelly. Good to have you on, Jim. Thanks so much for your time this morning.

Your reporting broke this, right, I mean, helped pave the way to the possibility of justice here. What do you make of this moment now?

JIM DEROGATIS, AUTHOR, SOULLESS, THE CASE AGAINST R. KELLY: Well, my reporting amplified the voices of dozens of brave young women who did the most difficult thing possible, the rip out their soul and trust a fat white journalist rock critic to tell their stories. And our first story at the Chicago Sun-Times ran on December 21st, 2000. And my partner and I, Abdon Pallasch, covered the courts, I covered the music world. We thought his career was ended then. The fact that it's gone on for three decades, 48 women whose names I know having their lives ruined by this man as he sold 100 million albums and was the prominent, most dominant force in R&B for two decades. The ramifications of that story are going to go on far beyond this trial.

HARLOW: Don't sell yourself short, Jim. Your reporting elevated the voices of those who don't have the platform that you have. It means everything as a journalist to be able to do that. Look, can you tell us --

DEROGATIS: I keep hearing, Poppy, from the women I'm in touch with. They're glad that this is finally in court, but it's too little, too late, is what they have said, everyone I talked to. They're not going to get those years back. They're not going to recover from the damage he did to them.

HARLOW: What do they want and their families want?

DEROGATIS: I think they want to be believed because the hate that they still get on social media -- for many years, the hate they got in their own families, in their churches, in their schools, they were never believed. And what I've heard hundreds of times while reporting this story for 20 years is nobody matters less in our society than young black women. And I have repeated that many times because that is the message they have.

SCIUTTO: Do we expect, do you expect Kelly to testify in this case?

DEROGATIS: I don't know if he'll testify. But the breadth of the charges in the New York case and the second federal case that will begin regardless of what happens in New York, in Chicago, never in the history of popular music where men have mistreated women since well before the bobby soxers up until yesterday has there been a case that posits a superstar musician as the godfather of a mafia family or the kingpin of a drug ring all of which was designed for 30 years while he's generating a billion dollars to satisfy his illegal sexual pleasures.

SCIUTTO: Just gutting to hear.

HARLOW: It is. And, Jim, thank you for today, obviously, but more for your reporting on this. We'll watch it closely.

[10:55:00]

Jim DeRogatis, thank you.

Thanks to all of you for joining us. We'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

At This Hour with Kate Bolduan starts right after a short break.

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