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White House Details Plan To Roll Out Vaccines For Children Ages 5 To 11; Boosters May Soon Be Recommended For People As Young As 40; FBI Update On Brian Laundrie Items Found; Interview With Sen. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) About Clean Air Portion Of Build Back Better Bill And Sen. Joe Manchin's Connection To Coal; Survivors Of Fiery Plane Crash Were Headed To Astros-Red Sox Game. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired October 20, 2021 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: It's big news for parents across the country, the White House is set to roll out its plan to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 as soon as the FDA and the CDC authorize the shot.

Also, we know that as soon as today, the FDA could issue an Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Joining us now, primary care physician and public health specialist Dr. Saju Mathew. Doctor, great to see you. So, let's talk about what parents need to know about vaccinating their kids. At the moment, I believe the CDC says only 50 percent of the eligible 12 through 17-year-olds have been vaccinated. So obviously, parents still feel reluctant about getting their kids vaccinated. I would imagine for younger kids, 5 through 11, there will be similar, I guess, trepidation, so what do you tell parents?

DR. SAJU MATHEW, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: Well, what I would tell parents, Alisyn, number one, is that this vaccine has been tried, has been tested. We have found the right dose. The dose is so important in younger kids. It's just going to be one- third of the dose that the older kids are going to get.

That's why it took this long to really get this approved, and also the fact that we have 28 million children. If we can get most of them vaccinated in the age group of 5 to 11, that's the 28 million I mentioned, then we can really cut down on the transmission.

Also, I want parents to know that the White House is gearing up a massive rollout program, making sure about 25,000 providers are going to be engaged in the rollout. I sure hope that a lot of kids can go to the pediatrician's office and get the vaccine. They're familiar with the nurses and the surroundings. So, it's a safe vaccine. We have to get as many kids vaccinated as possible.

BLACKWELL: Saju, let me ask you about boosters. A source tells CNN that soon boosters could be considered for people 40 and over, and it was really not that long ago that there was an authorization for people 65 and older. So, what has changed, if anything, that now would lead them to discuss this younger group?

MATHEW: Right. You know, Victor, I think what's going on is the CDC and the FDA are realizing that there are a lot of breakthrough infections that is actually causing people to go into the hospitals, so these are people that are fully vaccinated. They get a breakthrough infection, but a good number of them are actually also having to go into the hospital.

We don't really have a handle of those numbers, and I've always been critical that the CDC has never kept a track of these breakthrough infections. I know that personally in my practice, I am seeing quite a bit of people with these breakthrough infections, but most of my patients are recovering at home.

The vaccine still works, so I want to make that clear to our viewers. And if you look at the percentages, over 97 percent of the people that are in the hospital, Victor, are still the unvaccinated group.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Oh, yes, you want to avoid the hospitalization and the death. That's what we have been trying to avoid and vaccines do an incredible job. With that, I just want to talk about Dr. Mathews, something really, I think, moving that happened yesterday, and that was some of our cable news friends have shared their personal journey with this.

So, our friend John King revealed that he is immunocompromised. He has MS, and he talked about how grateful he is that the people around him are vaccinated because it could basically be saving his life. And then over on Fox, Neil Cavuto who also has MS, revealed that he has tested positive for COVID and he's so grateful that he was vaccinated because otherwise it would have spelled doom.

And I'm just wondering what you think as a doctor, when people with platforms share their personal stories like that, the impact that it has?

MATHEW: Oh, the impact is huge, Alisyn, I have so much respect for John King and the fact that he was brave enough to just, you know, mention this. I'm not sure he planned on doing it. But I actually was listening to CNN when that happened, and I was actually shocked and surprised.

You know, it shows you a couple of things, Alisyn, that you don't know who could be sitting right next to you on the plane that could be immunocompromised?

[15:35:00]

Who could be shopping right next to you that's immunocompromised?

This whole pandemic is greater than us individually, we have to make sure that we're not only getting vaccinated for ourselves but people around us. So, kudos to both Neil Cavuto and John King for using the big platforms to encourage people to get vaccinated. That's absolutely huge.

CAMEROTA: Dr. Saju Mathew, thank you, great to talk to you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Saju.

MATHEW: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: OK, so Democrats are inching closer to a deal on the President's economic and social safety net agenda, but they are slashing some key priorities to get there. So, I'm going to speak with a Democratic Senator to find out where she stands now on the environmental impact of this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:00]

BLACKWELL: All right, CNN has just learned that the FBI will be providing a statement on the search for Brian Laundrie, that's going to happen next hour. CNN's Randi Kaye is live in North Port, Florida. So, what do we know, potentially about this news conference, and I understand you've learned something from the FAA as well?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Victor. A couple of pieces of new information coming into CNN. We know that the FAA has now issued a temporary flight restriction above the Carlton Reserve. This is a 25,000-acre swamp. We are here at one of the entrances to that reserve. It's the Myakkahatchee Creek Park which is right here behind me. That is where these items of interest or articles belonging to go Brian Laundrie were found earlier today.

So now there's this flight restriction until October 22nd at 4:00 p.m. So, there's a lot of media attention on this. As you there have been drones flying above this reserve. So clearly, they want some privacy in terms of what they are working on inside this reserve.

We also know as you mentioned, there's this FBI press conference happening today at 4:30. That will be happening right here behind me. So of course, we will certainly be here for that and bring you the very latest.

But hopefully we will get some answers on exactly what these items are that were found here along this hiking trail that belong to Brian Laundrie. And what else they may have found?

We know that the parents are out here early this morning, Brian Laundrie's parents early this morning with law enforcement, looking on the liking trails. This was an area that they say as of September 13th, Brian Laundrie came to this Carlton Reserve.

Nobody else had told police that information. They were strictly relying on Brian Laundrie's parents. So sure enough, this area opened here behind me just yesterday after being closed for more than a month, and the parents called authorities and said they wanted to search this morning so they did that, and apparently, they found these items. The coroner is also on the scene working the scene here, processing

what was found as well as a human remains detection dog. That is on the scene as well with couple of spotters also working the scene here. And that dog can only

detect a decomposing body. That is not a dog that looks for somebody that's missing or on the run -- Victor, Alisyn.

BLACKWELL: All right, important to point out that the video we've been showing was from earlier today. Now there is that FAA no fly zone over the park. We're not going to be getting much more of that until at least after 4 tomorrow as this has been called by the FAA. Randi Kaye there for us. Thanks so much. We'll bring you the statement from the FBI as soon as it happens.

CAMEROTA: OK, meanwhile, President Biden just took off from Joint Base Andrews and is headed to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania to try to sell his economic agenda and discuss the concessions that he is willing to make it get it passed. He spoke just before he left.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you reach a deal on the package before you leave for (INAUDIBLE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You all never believed from the beginning I'd never get anything done. I think we'll get a deal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you moving, going from 12 years to 4 years of paid family leave?

BIDEN: I'm not going to get into, if I had negotiated with you all along, I wouldn't be as far along as I am. I'm hopeful. I think we'll get a good deal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you concerned about Chinese hypersonic missiles?

BIDEN: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: All right, joining us now is Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota. Senator, thanks so much for being here. I really want to focus on the climate portions of this whole package because it sounds like something has changed today.

Back on October 15th, you tweeted, let's be clear the Build Back Better budget must meaningfully address climate change. I'm open to different approaches, But I cannot support a bill that won't get us where we need to be on emissions. There are 50 Democratic Senators, every one of us is needed to get this passed. You weren't alone in June.

Senator Marky tweeted, no climate, no deal. Senator Heinrich tweeted, an infrastructure package that goes light on climate and clean energy should not count on every Democratic vote. And then today it sounds like something has changed. So, what happened?

SEN. TINA SMITH (D-MN): Well, Alisyn, first, it's great to be with you. And I do have a lot of optimism that we are getting closer and closer to finally delivering on the promises that President Biden made during the election, that I campaigned on in 2020 around this Build Back Better agenda. And you're asking about climate, which is so important. It has been the thing that I have worked on the hardest over the last few months.

So, my position is actually exactly the same. We need to get significant emissions reduction so that we can achieve the President's goal of cutting our carbon emissions by 50 percent in ten years.

[15:45:00]

CAMEROTA: I understand but hasn't the Clean Electricity program been dropped. I mean Senator Joe Manchin was dug in against it. Hasn't that portion been dropped?

SMITH: Well, I have been a huge champion of the clean electricity plan. And you're right, Senator Manchin has said, that he doesn't think he can get there on the Clean Electricity Plan. It's still out there and who knows where this may end. But that doesn't mean that there aren't other options for achieving --- that what we need to achieve, which is addressing the climate crisis that is on top of us right now and doing that in a way that keeps utility prices low, that creates jobs, that improves our health, that does all of the things that we have to do when we do address the climate crisis.

CAMEROTA: And are those things part of the package, I mean are those alternatives that are actually being built into the package, or no?

SMITH: That is what we are negotiating right this minute, and there are a variety of things we can do. You know, I mean, I continue to think that the clean electricity payment plan is the best way forward. But that doesn't mean it's the only way forward. So, we got to find the path, we got to find a path that 50 of us plus, our friends in the House can all get behind.

CAMEROTA: I know that you have been actively, I think, talking to Senator Joe Manchin who has been immovable as far as we can tell on this. Do you that think we're talking enough about Senator Manchin's financial conflicts of interest when it comes to coal?

Because just to remind everybody, he started his own coal company, I think called Enersystems, in 1988 and since then, he has made lots of money on coal. I mean, these are just the past two years that we know of, in terms of his dividends from Enersystems. In 2019, he had made more than half a million dollars. In 2020, he made roughly half a million dollars. Isn't that a financial conflict of interest for him to be so involved in this?

SMITH: Well, listen, Senator Manchin is answerable to his constituents on all of that. But what I know is that the strong forward motion on climate change is going to help West Virginia. It's going to create more jobs. It's going to lower electricity rates in West Virginia. West Virginia relies heavily on coal for its electric power, and that means that rates are higher.

So that is, I think, the thing we have to really focus on. I want to just say one other thing about Senator Manchin. Because we're looking to find our areas of common agreement here, and one of them is that he cares a lot about innovation and bringing that innovation back to the United States, and that is very much what we're trying to accomplish with the climate parts of the Build Back Better bill.

CAMEROTA: Look, I have heard some people describe it as Joe Manchin's holding President Biden's climate program hostage. How do you see it?

SMITH: Well, I mean I would lie, and I said this to Joe myself, that it is certainly frustrating sometimes to find that common ground. But wait and see, we are working hard, and this is not just about one or two Senators. This is about all 50 of us plus the members of the House coming to agreement.

And I want to just also say I'm really grateful for the leadership of Pramila Jayapal and members of the House Progressive Caucus who have been saying, hey, wait a minute, this is something that a lot of people care about, and we have to make sure that all of these voices are heard in the negotiations.

And honestly, I think that that's happening. It's frustrating because it's happening behind the scenes, but I know that that's happening for a fact.

CAMEROTA: OK. Well, we appreciate you sharing some of this and the negotiations with us, Senator Tina Smith, thank you.

SMITH: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: What's being called a miracle on the runway, how every passenger on board survived this plane crash. We've got new details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:00]

BLACKWELL: We now know the survivors who walked away from yesterday's fiery plane crash were flying to the MLB Championship series game between Houston and Boston. NTSB investigators were on site today outside of Houston trying to figure out what happened to the MD-87 which never left the ground. It rolled through a fence and at some point, burst into flames. Look at this.

Local responders are calling the incident a miracle because everyone on board survived. 18 passengers, two pilots and an attendant. There were only two minor injuries. One of the survivors was a 10-year-old child.

Joining now is Tim Gibson, Director of the Waller Harris Emergency Service. Tim, good to have you. It's been a little more than 24 hours now since this happened. You've been able to sit with this. When you look at that video of that burning plane and you now know 21 people survived it, what goes through your mind?

TIM GIBSON, DIRECTOR OF THE WALLER HARRIS EMERGENCY SERVICE: You know, Victor, here we are again thinking not only is this a miracle, but it was a lot of skill on the part of the flight crew. The fortunate circumstances that nobody could ever think we'd put together at any time to come together like this. The way the plane landed. Where the door ended up at the dirt road that goes out to that field. Again, everything was just a fortunate set of circumstances that really looked good.

BLACKWELL: Which is why people are calling it a miracle. I mean, you point out that the door lines up on the dirt road and people are trying to climb out here and you also talk about the skill of the flight crew. What did they do to make sure that everybody got off there with their lives?

GIBSON: So, you know, the flight crew is going to be the experts on their aircraft and they are the ones that made sure everybody got off that aircraft and kept them together and kept up with them.

When we arrived, we found them together with all the passengers, and while there was some confusion on the initial numbers, that group stayed together and we knew we had all accountability very quickly after we got there.

[15:55:00]

That allowed all of our responders, all of our partners, all of our EMS crews to focus on the incident rolling before us of the aircraft starting to catch fire and burning all while we still had engines turning and running.

BLACKWELL: So, when you got the call, you didn't know that all 21 had survived, right?

GIBSON: No, sir, not at all. In fact, the initial dispatch that we got from the sheriff's department was this was going to be a helicopter with two pilots on board. It after we got on route and we looked to the sky and we saw the column of smoke that we knew this was something much, much larger than what we were initially told about.

BLACKWELL: And what were your fears as you started pulling up on this scene before you knew that people were safe?

GIBSON: You know, you always have to go to that worst case situation where we're going to come into this and we're going to have a lot of responders putting themselves on the line to try to effect rescues, to try and get into an aircraft that now it's burning to try and find any victims we can save.

And to know that there was -- everybody was out, it was a relief on all of our shoulders that we could now take a step back, let's focus on the firefighting efforts and let's get the resources we need to get that part of this done while we allowed our EMS partners to assess all of the victims, all of the passengers, the aircraft crew to assess any injuries. Our EMS partners were outstanding. They were able to get a strike team

and all the crews in, and we were prepared for the worst. I can tell you that much.

BLACKWELL: When you saw the survivors, what were they saying? What was their mood? Tell us about that.

GIBSON: You know, we didn't spend much time in contact with them at the very front. As far as where we were in command. We immediately got them off and got them to the medical sector down away from the incident, away from the aircraft so that everybody was kept safe.

As you can see in the videos and in the pictures, there was an enormous amount of fire, an enormous amount of heavy, dark smoke that is absolutely dangerous to your health. So, we immediately got them as far away as we could and we didn't spend much time asking them those types of questions. We went straight to the medical assessment questions.

BLACKWELL: Well, Tim Gibson with Waller Harris Emergency Service, first, thank you for the work you do. And we've had that video of that burning plane up during our entire interview. And as we watch that and hear you tell the story, it really is remarkable that everybody, all 21, made it off that plane. Thank you so much for your time.

GIBSON: Thank you, Victor.

CAMEROTA: That is remarkable. I mean it's a miracle, and, you know, as we were saying, it's so rare that you see something like that that it ends well.

BLACKWELL: Yes, two minor injuries and one of them a 10-year-old boy who survived.

All right, thank you for being with us this afternoon. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)