Dr. Fauci: Be sure to get 2nd dose of vaccines

STORY: US WH COVID Briefing - Dr. Fauci: Be sure to get 2nd dose of vaccines

LENGTH: 03:07

FIRST RUN: 1543

RESTRICTIONS:

TYPE: English/Natsound

SOURCE: WHITEHOUSE.GOV

STORY NUMBER: 4323612

DATELINE: 30 April 2021 - Washington

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

WHITEHOUSE.GOV

Washington, DC - 30 April 2021

++EDIT STARTS ON A SOUNDBITE++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 coordinator:

"You see that today we reached a major milestone on the number of Americans who are fully vaccinated. Today, 100 million Americans are fully vaccinated, nearly double the 55 million who were fully vaccinated at the end of March. That's one hundred million, nearly 40 percent of all adult Americans who are now fully vaccinated with protection from COVID-19 two weeks after getting their last shot. That's 100 million Americans with a sense of relief and peace of mind, knowing that after a long and hard year, they protected from the virus, knowing their decision to get vaccinated, protects not just themselves but also protects their families, their friends and their communities."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Antony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:

"But if you compare this to other real world uptake of vaccines that have been around for a while, this report came out a week ago in Human Vaccines Immunotherapeutics looking at the Zoster vaccine in the United States over a two year period, from 2017 to 2019. And note on the second bullet, it's a two dose vaccine with the doses becoming two and six months after the first dose, 70 to 80% of individuals completed the series, which means that 20 to 30% have not. So thus far, the eight percent, though you'd like to see 100% adherence, eight percent is within the realm of what you see with other multi-dose vaccines."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Antony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:

"What can we do to help people get that second dose on time? Schedule and follow up visits before during the first dose, reschedule canceled clinics and send reminders. Bottom line of my message, a) get vaccinated. And if you're having a two dose regimen, make sure you get that second dose."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General:

"We know that around 80% of people who are trying to decide about a vaccine say that they want to talk to their doctor about that, about that decision. And we've heard that loud and clear and that's why we not only want to engage with doctors to ensure they're talking to their patients, but we also want to make it easier for people to ultimately get a vaccine through their doctor. And there'll be more to say about that initiative in the days ahead. But that is a channel that we're certainly working on in close partnership with physicians, with other health care providers and with medical organizations."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 coordinator:

"Travel from India? We remain in very close contact with our foreign counterparts and are continuously monitoring the situation. Our current inbound travel precautions and mandatory testing before travel the quarantine for unvaccinated individuals and the retesting during that quarantine period. Those are all in place for all international travel and have been effective. Getting Americans vaccinated is the most effective tool as we had that we have against COVID. We'll continue to follow the CDC science based guidance on travel and other matters. "

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

STORYLINE:

The White House Friday announced that a major milestone for vaccines against the coronavirus had been reached - 100 million Americans had been been fully vaccinated, receiving protection from COVID-19 after getting their last vaccine shot.

"That's 100 million Americans with a sense of relief and peace of mind, knowing that after a long and hard year, they protected from the virus, knowing their decision to get vaccinated, protects not just themselves but also protects their families, their friends and their communities," said Jeff Zients, the White House's COVID-19 coordinator.

Meanwhile, about 8% of Americans who have received one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have not returned for their second shot.

That's according to Dr. Antony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert. He says it is important for those getting one of the two-dose vaccines to complete their course to gain maximum protection against the virus.

Speaking during a White House briefing, he pointed to several scientific studies showing significant benefits of the second shot, including reducing the risk of infection and strengthening the response of the immune system to the virus.

Says Fauci: "Get vaccinated, and if you're getting a two-dose regimen, make sure you get that second dose.

Asked about any potential travel restrictions from India where cases have surged, Zients said the situation was being "continuously monitored."

The Indian Health Ministry on Friday reported the country had set another global record with 386,452 daily coronavirus cases and 3,498 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much.

India has set a daily global record for more than a week with an average of nearly 350,000 infections. Daily deaths have nearly tripled in the past three weeks, reflecting the intensity of the latest surge.

"Getting Americans vaccinated is the most effective tool as we had that we have against COVID," Zients said. "We'll continue to follow the CDC science based guidance on travel and other matters. "

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