♪ ♪ >> VACCINES ARE SAID BY SOME TO BE THE ANSWER TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC YET SOME NEBRASKANS ARE STILL HESITANT TO GET A SHOT.

WHY IS THAT?

AND, WHY SHOULD WE TRUST THE VACCINES?

AND, HOW ARE MEDICAL EXPERTS WORKING TO ADDRESS HESITANCY ABOUT THE VACCINES NOW THAT EVERYONE IN NEBRASKA IS ELIGIBLE TO GET ONE?

TONIGHT, WE ADDRESS ALL OF THAT NEXT ON SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

♪ ♪ >> THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

I'M N-E-T NEWS DIRECTOR, DENNIS KELLOGG.

TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO BE JOINED BY A PANEL OF MEDICAL EXPERTS AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TAKE A SPECIAL LOOK AT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHO HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY COVID-19.

AT FIRST DURING THE PANDEMIC, POLLS SHOWED MINORITY COMMUNITIES TO BE MORE HESITANT ABOUT THE VACCINE.

NOW, THAT MAY NOT BE AS MUCH OF AN OBSTACLE FOR THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.

WILLIAM PADMORE OF N-E-T NEWS EXPLORES HOW VACCINE HESITANCY, THOUGH, IS STILL A ROADBLOCK FOR SOME PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE STATE.

>> LEO YANKTON IS A MEMBER OF THE LAKOTA TRIBE AND HAS LIVED IN LINCOLN OFF AND ON FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.

HE SAYS THAT, FOR HIM, NOT GETTING A VACCINATION WAS NEVER AN OPTION.

HE'S BEEN FIGHTING CANCER FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS.

>> I FELT LIKE, WITH ALL THE STRUGGLES I'VE MADE THROUGH THIS FIGHT AGAINST CANCER, FOR ME TO END UP DYING FROM CATCHING A VIRUS WOULD BE VERY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO ALL OF THE SUFFERING AND WORK I'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, TO SURVIVE UP TO THIS POINT.

>> WHILE HE IS NOW FULLY VACCINATED AND NOT SUFFERING ANY MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS, YANKTON ADMITS HE WAS HESITANT TO GET THE VACCINE.

PART OF HIS CONCERN WAS THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW HE WOULD REACT TO THE VACCINE, BUT HE POINTS TO THE UNITED STATES' CHECKERED MEDICAL HISTORY WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AS THE MAIN SOURCE OF HIS SKEPTICISM, FOR HIM AND MANY OF HIS FELLOW NATIVE AMERICANS.

>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD ISSUES OF MISCONDUCT AND EXPERIMENTS ON PEOPLE OF COLOR IN AMERICA -- YOU KNOW, MISCONDUCT FROM SMALLPOX BLANKETS, UH, FROM EXPERIMENTS THAT ACTUALLY DIRECTLY INVOLVED CDC, LIKE THE TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT WITH THE SYPHILIS IN BLACK MEN, TO THINGS EVEN MORE RECENT, LIKE THE STERILIZATION OF MIGRANTS THROUGH I.C.E.

JUST IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

>> AS THE STATE WORKS TO VACCINATE THE POPULATION, COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE FINDING CONCERNS LIKE THESE A COMPLEX CHALLENGE IN COMBATING VACCINE HESITANCY.

WITH THE CDC REPORTING THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED AND DIE FROM COVID-19, THEIR MISSION TAKES ON A GRIM SIGNIFICANCE.

BUT, MANY LEADERS HAVE FOUND DISTRUST TOWARD THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY CAN BE HARD TO SHAKE.

>> SO REALLY WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY IS, "OKAY, HERE IS WHERE I'M AT.

I'LL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE QUESTIONING IT AND I'M GLAD -- I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO SAY, "OKAY, WELL, I'LL GET THIS JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE."

NO, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?

>> GRAND ISLAND RESIDENTS CARLOS BARCENAS DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS A SPEAKER, FACILITATOR, AND CULTURE BROKER FOR HISPANIC COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE.

OPERATING THROUGH HIS COMPANY, "I CHOOSE PURPLE."

HE'S BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE HOLDOUTS IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY TO GET VACCINATED, BUT HE SAID HE'S ENCOUNTERED SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS YANKTON MENTIONED.

>> A LOT OF IT IS WHAT YOU HEAR ALSO ON THE MAIN -- MAIN MEDIA ABOUT JUST BEING HESITANT BECAUSE OF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN IT, OR THEY'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE REALLY BAD SIDE EFFECTS, OR A PREVIOUS HISTORY, ESPECIALLY IN THE HISTORY WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THERE'S THIS -- I'M HESITANT TO TRUST, IS JUST SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD, AND SOME THAT IS NOT.

SOME THINGS HAVE TO DO JUST WITH LACK OF INFORMATION.

NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PEOPLE TO MAKE A DECISION.

>> BY RECOUNTING HIS OWN VACCINATION, BARCENAS HOPES HE CAN CONVINCE VACCINE HOLDOUTS TO RECONSIDER, OR AT LEAST SEEK OUT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WITH MORE INFORMATION.

REVEREND RALPH LASSITER IS SENIOR PASTOR AT MT.

MORIAH BAPTIST CHURCH IN OMAHA, AND SAYS HE'S BEEN USING HIS PLATFORM AS A PREACHER TO PROMOTE VACCINATIONS IN BLACK COMMUNITIES.

BUT RECENTLY, HE'S BEEN RUNNING INTO TROUBLE CONVINCING YOUNGER PEOPLE.

>> I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS.

I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOMETIMES INDIVIDUALS DON'T BELIEVE THAT MAYBE IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM.

AND SO, MY RESPONSE IS TO ASK THEM, DO YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE?

DO YOU HAVE A PARENT?

DO YOU HAVE A GRANDPARENT?

DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS OLDER WHO MAYBE HAS AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION -- MAYBE THEY'RE DIABETIC, MAYBE THEY HAVE SOME EXTRA POUNDS, HAVE HAD SOME CARDIOVASCULAR ISSUES, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU WON'T HAVE THE SEVERE IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH RELATIVE TO HAVING CONTRACTED THE COVID-19 VIRUS, YOU COULD STILL CARRY IT.

AND, IF YOU CARRY IT AND CARRY IT HOME, YOU CARRY IT TO YOUR GRANDPARENTS' HOME, THEN THEY CAN BE MUCH MORE SEVERELY IMPACTED.

>> WITH THE CDC CALLING FOR A PAUSE IN THE USE OF THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE, DUE TO THE CONCERNS OVER THE RARE DEVELOPMENT OF BLOOD CLOTS AFTER USE, EFFORTS TO CONVINCE THOSE ON THE FENCE MAY HAVE GOTTEN EVEN TOUGHER.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CEO, DANNETTE SMITH, SAYS THE STATE HAS BEEN TRYING TO TACKLE HESITANCY WITH THEIR "FINISH STRONG" INITIATIVE.

>> WELL, WE ARE TALKING WITH EVERYBODY, PARTICULARLY THOSE PERSONS OF COLOR, ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE VACCINATED, WHY YOU NEED TO BE VACCINATED, WHERE YOU CAN GO AND GET VACCINATED, AND WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEBRASKA, PARTICULARLY IN OUR DOUGLAS, LINCOLN, LINCOLN/LANCASTER AREA, WHO HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH US ON TOWN HALL MEETINGS, ZOOM MEETINGS TO JUST GET THE WORD OUT THERE.

>> STILL, SMITH HAS HER WORK CUT OUT FOR HER.

WHILE HIS FAITH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN REWARDED FOR NOW, LEO YANKTON, IN LINCOLN, SAYS HIS FEELINGS ABOUT THE HEALTH INDUSTRY REMAIN COMPLEX.

>> I STILL FEEL THIS DISTRUST WHERE I DON'T FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE PUSHING THE VACCINE, BUT BY SHOWING THROUGH EXAMPLE THAT I WAS WILLING TO TAKE THIS AND WILLING TO TAKE THIS LEAP OF FAITH, YOU KNOW, IT WILL CONVINCE SOME PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE VACCINE.

>> FOR SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA , I'M WILLIAM PADMORE.

♪ ♪ >> NEXT, OUR PANEL OF MEDICAL EXPERTS THAT WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT TO DISCUSS VACCINE HESITANCY ON SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA , WE BEGIN WITH DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, WHO IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN AT FAITH REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES, IN NORFOLK.

DR. JOSUE GUTIERREZ, A FAMILY PHYSICIAN AT SALINE MEDICAL SPECIALTIES, WELCOME.

ALSO, DR. KEYONNA KING, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTERS, CENTER FOR REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES.

AND, DR. BOB RAUNER, THE PRESIDENT OF "PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHY LINCOLN."

AND, I DO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE BY WAY OF FULL DISCLOSURE, TO SAY THAT N-E-T HAS RECEIVED PRODUCTION SUPPORT FOR THIS EPISODE OF SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL THROUGH THE "PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHY LINCOLN," BUT NEITHER DR. RAUNER, NOR HIS STAFF, HAS DETERMINED EDITORIAL CONTENT FOR THIS PROGRAM.

ALRIGHT, WE ARE READY TO GET UNDERWAY.

WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO OUR PANELISTS.

WE'VE ALSO SOLICITED QUESTIONS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGHOUT THE WEEK FROM OUR FOLLOWERS, AND WE ALSO HAVE ENCOURAGED OUR AUDIENCE HERE AT LINCOLN HIGH TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO GET THOSE ANSWERED, AS WELL.

WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND.

SOME OF THE FACTS.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE THREE COVID-19 VACCINES: PFIZER, MODERNA, AND JOHNSON & JOHNSON.

PFIZER IS 95% EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING SEVERE CASES.

IT TAKES TWO DOSES.

MODERNA IS 94% EFFECTIVE -- IT HAS TWO DOSES, AS WELL.

AND, JOHNSON & JOHNSON, WHICH IS JUST ONE DOSE, IS 66% EFFECTIVE.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON HAS BEEN RESTARTED IN NEBRASKA AFTER -- AND ACROSS THE NATION, AFTER BEING PAUSED DUE TO A RARE AND SEVERE TYPE OF BLOOD CLOTTING DETECTED IN JUST A FEW WOMEN.

SO, OUR MEDICAL EXPERTS, I WANT TO ASSUME, I GUESS, AT THIS POINT, THAT I THINK YOU'RE ALL RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GET ONE OF THESE VACCINES.

DR. MENSAH, LET'S START WITH YOU.

YOU'RE AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE VACCINES IN THE EFFORT TO END THIS PANDEMIC?

>> I THINK THE VACCINES ARE REALLY EFFECTIVE.

AND, I'LL TELL YOU THAT SINCE WE STARTED VACCINATING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALL BEEN ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL ARE NOT VACCINATED.

SO, I TELL PEOPLE THAT THE VACCINE -- THE INFECTION IS PRETTY MUCH SINGLING OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED.

AND, YOU HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL AGES, RIGHT DOWN FROM 20 YEARS OF AGE, UP TO 80 YEARS OF AGE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED BEING ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED ARE NOT BEING ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR COVID-19 AT THIS TIME.

>> DR. GUTIERREZ, IF WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN NEBRASKA, ABOUT 42% OF PEOPLE OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION ARE FULLY VACCINATED.

ABOUT 56% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION ARE PARTIALLY VACCINATED, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE, WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 38% WITH VACCINATIONS OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

YOU WERE SOMEONE WHO, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC, YOU WERE ON TOP OF PRECAUTIONS LIKE MASKS, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND WASHING HANDS.

SO, KNOWING THAT WE'VE GOT THIS FAR INTO THE PANDEMIC AND NOW WE'VE GOT THESE VACCINATIONS, DOES IT CONCERN YOU THAT THAT TREND IS A LITTLE BIT DOWNWARD RIGHT NOW?

>> YES, IT'S CONCERNING BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING THERE.

I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TRULY CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS VIRUS.

IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US NOT TO GIVE UP RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING THINGS ABOUT THE VACCINE -- MAYBE A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THAT'S BEING SAID OUT THERE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I THINK THAT IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF MEDICAL EXPERTS THAT HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, SO IF THEY HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, THEY KNOW THEIR SCIENCE, THEY TRUST THESE VACCINES SO I THINK WE NEED TO TRUST THE MEDICAL EXPERTS NOW, AND CONTINUE ON THE ROAD TO BE BETTER AND TO ACTUALLY GET TO SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY AFTER COVID.

>> DR. KING, YOU'VE SPENT TIME FOCUSING ON VACCINE HESITANCY AMONG MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT AND, OF COURSE, THEY'VE BEEN MORE IMPACTED BY COVID-19, IN GENERAL.

THEY'VE NOT BEEN VACCINATED AT THE RATES THAT THEY MAKE UP IN THE POPULATION.

SO, DR. KING, AS SOMEONE WHO STUDIES HEALTH DISPARITIES, WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE BEEN MORE IMPACTED BY COVID-19, AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE THESE VACCINES TO THOSE COMMUNITIES?

>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I BELIEVE THAT MINORITY COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE OF COLOR, HAVE BEEN MORE AFFECTED BY COVID FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS AND OBVIOUSLY VACCINE HESITANCY HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE.

SPECIFICALLY IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, THERE IS ALSO ACCESS ISSUES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED.

THERE'S NOT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO VACCINES, SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT FORGETTING ABOUT THESE OTHER ISSUES THAT GO ALONG WITH VACCINE HESITANCY.

>> DR. RAUNER, YOU'VE SPENT MUCH OF YOUR CAREER WORKING WITH RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, SO WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO ADD ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BOTH COVID AND VACCINATIONS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR?

>> WELL, PART OF THE PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS THAT ONE, THEY WERE AFFECTED MORE LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE JOBS THEY OCCUPIED -- SOMETIMES LACK OF COMMUNICATION, AND SOMETIMES THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT.

IF YOU'RE IN A THREE-GENERATION HOUSEHOLD, IT'S HARD TO ISOLATE, OR IF YOU'RE IN A BIG RANCH WITH JUST TWO PEOPLE, AND SO A LOT OF THINGS PUT THEM AT HIGHER RISK.

NOW OUR PROBLEM IS, I THINK, THERE WAS A LACK OF MESSAGING INITIALLY.

WE'RE CATCHING UP, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE DIFFERENCES IN HESITANCY ARE COMING DOWN, NOT BECAUSE THERE IS ANYTHING INHERENT -- IT WAS A LACK OF APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION.

NOW, IT'S AN ACCESS ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME -- UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S SORT OF BAKED IN THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOME DISPARITY, BECAUSE IF WE DO -- FOR IMMUNIZED PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, THEY'RE MORE MAJORITY WHITE, SO YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH UP, SO NOW IT'S AN ACCESS ISSUE.

AND LAST, IS A TRUST ISSUE.

WHERE DO PEOPLE WANT TO GET VACCINATED?

THEY MOST WANT TO GET VACCINATED AT THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE, BY THE DOCTOR AND NURSE THAT THEY KNOW, SO WE NOW NEED TO MOVE FROM THE MASS VACCINATIONS TO THE MULTIPLE SITE VACCINATIONS, WHERE THEY CAN GO TO LIKE DR. GUTIERREZ'S CLINIC, AND GO TO HIS CLINIC AND GET VACCINATED BECAUSE THEY KNOW HIM AND THEY TRUST HIM.

>> AND, ALSO GET SOME VACCINATION CLINICS INTO THE COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES?

SMALLER TYPES OF CLINICS?

>> YES.

>> DR. MENSAH, SEVERAL POLLS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE INDICATED ABOUT ONE IN FOUR IN AMERICA SAY THEY DON'T WANT A VACCINE.

SO, IF HERD IMMUNITY IS THE GOAL TO CONTROL THE PANDEMIC, IS THAT POSSIBLE IF A FOURTH OF AMERICANS DON'T GET THE SHOT?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I WAS ACTUALLY ASKED ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY IN MY LOCAL HOSPITAL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.

I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT MORE PEOPLE GETTING VACCINATED RATHER THAN TALKING ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE ISSUES OF VACCINE VARIANTS OF -- WE HAVE IT EACH YEAR OF COVID-19 VARIANTS ALL AROUND US, AND WITH COVID-19 VARIANTS, HERD IMMUNITY BECOMES A MOVING TARGET.

AT THIS POINT, I THINK THAT INFORMATION THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT IS AS MANY PEOPLE GET VACCINATED, THE NUMBER OF CASES OF COVID-19 WILL GO DOWN, THE VIRUS WILL STOP MUTATING, AND THEN WE WILL PROBABLY BE REACHING TOWARDS A GOAL.

BUT, WHEN A QUARTER OF AMERICANS DON'T WANT TO GET VACCINATED, WE PRETTY MUCH CANNOT TALK ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY IN THAT CASE.

>> DR. RAUNER, BACK TO YOU.

AND, PLAYING OFF THAT TALK ABOUT VARIANTS, MORE THAN 550 CASES INVOLVING COVID VARIANTS HAVE BEEN DETECTED IN NEBRASKA.

SO DO THE VARIANTS, OR NOW, OR WILL THEY EVENTUALLY IMPACT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINE?

>> PROBABLY.

I THINK THAT THE JURY'S STILL OUT A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE VACCINES WE HAVE ARE MOSTLY EFFECTIVE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE MUTANTS, AND SO THESE MAY NOT BE THE LAST.

THE OTHER CHALLENGE YOU'RE RUNNING INTO IS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INFECTED WITH THE ORIGINAL STRAIN, THEY MAY NOT BE IMMUNE TO THE SECOND STRAIN.

THERE'S DATA COMING OUT NOW THAT SIX MONTHS LATER, PEOPLE ARE GETTING RE-INFECTED.

THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS A ONE-AND-DONE THING.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE MEASLES.

ONCE YOU GET MEASLES, YOU'RE USUALLY GOOD FOR LIFE UNLESS YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FOR SOME REASON.

IT'S LOOKING LIKE CORONAVIRUS IS NOT LIKE THAT.

IT'S MORE LIKE PERTUSSIS OR TETANUS, WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET BOOSTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO, IT'S LIKELY, I THINK, THAT THERE WILL BE A BOOSTER.

WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY LIKELY NOW THAT THIS FALL OR WINTER THAT WE MAY END UP WITH A THIRD SHOT IF YOU'VE ALREADY HAD PFIZER OR MODERNA, FOR EXAMPLE.

>> LET'S TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND LET'S BEGIN WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN NEBRASKA, NOW.

THEY MAKE UP JUST OVER 5% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION.

CURRENTLY, THEY MAKE UP ONLY LESS THAN 3% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION THAT IS FULLY VACCINATED, SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING VACCINATED AT THE RATE THAT THEY SHOULD BE.

DR. KING, WE'VE HEARD IN THE PAST ABOUT MISTRUST OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY.

WE'VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT ACCESS TO THE VACCINE.

ARE THOSE TWO OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY WE'RE SEEING THE BLACK COMMUNITY NOT GET VACCINATED AT THE RATE THEY SHOULD BE?

>> I DO BELIEVE THAT THOSE ARE TWO OF THE PRIMARY REASONS WHY VACCINATION ISN'T HAPPENING AT A FASTER PACE.

I THINK THE MISTRUST IS THICK AND RUNS DEEP IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS HISTORICALLY IN THIS COUNTRY, SO BEING ABLE TO OVERCOME THAT IS REALLY GOING TO TAKE EXPOSURE TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS THAT LOOK LIKE THE BLACK COMMUNITY, SO THAT ARE BLACK -- WHETHER THAT BE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, DOCTORS, NURSES -- THOSE ARE THE -- THE STAFF THAT NEED TO BE DELIVERING THE MESSAGE ABOUT COVID VACCINE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COVID VACCINE TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE TRUST LIES WITHIN.

THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST IN THAT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AND SO IF SOMEBODY LOOKS LIKE -- IF SOMEBODY IS A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE LIKELY TO GET VACCINATED.

AS FAR AS THE ACCESS PIECE, THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, I THINK, HISTORICALLY FOR OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

AND SO, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ACCESS TO DIFFERENT CLINICS WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES, I THINK DR. RAUNER MENTIONED, MAKING SURE THAT WE GET THOSE SMALLER COMMUNITY CLINICS AVAILABLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK IN OMAHA, SPECIFICALLY DOUGLAS COUNTY, THE BLACK POPULATION IS ABOUT 11%, SO A LITTLE BIT BIGGER OBVIOUSLY, THAN THE STATE OVERALL POPULATION, BUT THE POINT OF THAT IS THAT IN OMAHA, WE REALLY HAVE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE SMALLER CLINICS WITHIN THE AREAS WHERE A MAJORITY OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE RESIDING, AND JUST REALLY MAKING THAT COMMUNITY EFFORT.

SO, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE PARTNERING WITH THE DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE THAT WORK AND GET BLACK PEOPLE, AS WELL AS BROWN PEOPLE, VACCINATED.

>> DR. GUTIERREZ, NPR RECENTLY REPORTED -- THEY WENT OUT AND ASKED PEOPLE OF COLOR ABOUT WHY THEY WEREN'T GETTING THE VACCINE, AND A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THOSE QUESTIONS, THEY CITED "HEALTH INEQUITIES," AND THEY CITED "MEDICAL RACISM" -- THE POSSIBILITY THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE THAT DISPARITY IN HEALTH COVERAGE, POTENTIAL BIASES ALSO HELD BY HEALTHCARE WORKERS AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THEIR CARE.

HAS THAT EVER COME UP -- DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE CASE IN NEBRASKA?

ARE THOSE TWO REASONS THAT ARE LEGITIMATE?

>> I THINK AT THIS TIME, YOU HAVE TO -- I'VE HAD TO TAKE THE EXAMPLE OF MY CLINIC.

MY CLINIC IS -- A LOT OF HISPANIC POPULATION COME TO ME JUST BECAUSE I SPEAK SPANISH.

I LIVE IN CRETE, AND A LOT OF THE POPULATION IN CRETE IS HISPANIC.

WE HAVE OUR OWN 6% OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS HISPANIC THERE.

SO, I THINK WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT ACCESS -- WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT FEELING COMFORTABLE WITH A CLINICIAN, IF YOU GO TO A CLINICIAN THAT SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE, THAT HAS GOTTEN THE VACCINE, AND TELLS YOU, "HEY, IT'S SAFE.

I'M STILL HERE," I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

NOW, WE TALK ABOUT RACISM AND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, I THINK, YES, IT'S PROBABLY OUT THERE, AND, YES, IT HAS HAPPENED A LOT IN THE HISTORY.

I'M NOT SURE HOW PREVALENT IT IS IN NEBRASKA, BUT AT LEAST WE NEED TO DEPRECIATE THAT FROM IS IT AN ISSUE OF PEOPLE NOT BEING COMFORTABLE IN THAT MEDICAL SETTING, VERSUS HOW TRUE RACISM IS IN THAT FACILITY AND, THAT'S A -- GOING TO BE A KIND OF INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OR INTERNAL -- SOMETHING THAT THAT COMMUNITY HAS TO DO INTERNALLY TO SEE IF THAT'S THE CASE.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY AND SKEPTICISM ON THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT OUR PANEL INCLUDES DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, DR. KEYONNA KING, DR. JOSUE GUTIERREZ, AND DR. BOB RAUNER.

I'M DENNIS KELLOGG, YOUR MODERATOR FOR THIS.

WE TALKED ABOUT ACCESS, AND BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, DR. KING WILL TALK ABOUT OMAHA, WHICH IS WHERE YOU'RE BASED, AND IT'S HOME TO NEBRASKA'S LARGEST MINORITY POPULATIONS.

OMAHA CURRENTLY HAS SIX VACCINATION SITES.

ONE DOWNTOWN, ONE SOUTHWEST, ONE WEST, ONE SOUTH, TWO IN NORTH OMAHA, AND AS MANY KNOW, THOSE LARGE MINORITY POPULATIONS SEEM TO BE LOCATED IN NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA, SO ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO GET -- REACH OUT TO THESE MINORITY COMMUNITIES, BRING THE VACCINE TO WHERE THEY ARE, AND ARE THERE OTHER THINGS LIKE, FOR INSTANCE AS WE SAW ON OUR OPENING PIECE, REACHING OUT TO BLACK COMMUNITY LEADERS, LIKE PASTORS OF BLACK CHURCHES.

SHOULD WE BE DOING MORE OF THAT TO GET THE FACTS OUT ABOUT VACCINATIONS?

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK, IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, WE WERE A LITTLE SLOW, IN MY OPINION, TO GET INTO THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN OMAHA, BUT WE ARE THERE NOW AND I THINK WITH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, REALLY PUSHING TO GET THESE VACCINE CLINICS SET UP IN NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY IN THIS LAST, I WANT TO SAY, FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS.

THERE'S BEEN A REAL BIG PUSH THERE, SO I THINK THAT'S HAPPENING.

AS FAR AS GETTING PASTORS INVOLVED?

ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK GETTING THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY INVOLVED -- ANYONE THAT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY WHO HOLDS A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP THAT IS LOOKED UP TO IS GOING TO BE REALLY CRITICAL AND KEY IN GETTING MORE BLACK PEOPLE VACCINATED IN NORTH OMAHA, OR IN OMAHA IN GENERAL.

I THINK PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME, AS WELL, HELP TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, TO SOOTHE ANY FEARS, OR, JUST KIND OF THE MISINFORMATION OR WHAT WE CALL, IN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE INFODEMIC THAT'S HAPPENING, WHERE THERE'S THIS INACCURATE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION THAT'S GIVEN OUT THAT REALLY CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE PEOPLE BEING VACCINE HESITANT OR, AS DR. GISELLE CORBY-SMITH HAS MENTIONED, VACCINE DELIBERATION, WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO WEIGH THOSE PROS AND CONS.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MISINFORMATION, IT REALLY DOES KEEP PEOPLE VACCINE-HESITANT, OR AGAINST GETTING THE VACCINE, SO, REALLY TRYING TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT.

THAT MISINFORMATION IS REALLY GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN UTILIZING AND LEVERAGING COMMUNITY LEADERS SUCH AS PASTORS, BLACK PHYSICIANS, BLACK NURSES, ETC., TO REALLY HELP PUSH THAT MESSAGE AND GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED.

>> LET'S TALK, ALSO, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

HISPANICS MAKE UP MORE THAN 11% OF THE POPULATION, AND CURRENTLY THEY'RE JUST UNDER 5% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION THAT'S FULLY VACCINATED.

DR. GUTIERREZ, ARE THERE REASONS SPECIFIC TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY REGARDING VACCINE HESITANCY?

OR, IS IT MORE OF THE SAME ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM?

>> I THINK AT THIS TIME, ALSO, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE LANGUAGE INTO ACCOUNT.

I THINK A LOT OF THE RESOURCES INITIALLY WERE MOSTLY GIVEN OUT IN ENGLISH.

AND, IF YOU GO TO SOME OF THE WEBSITES, IT IS MUCH BETTER NOW, BUT INITIALLY IT WAS A VERY COMPLEX SYSTEM IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.

SO THAT, ESSENTIALLY, IS A BARRIER TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AT TIMES.

SO, THEY THEN GO TO -- NORMALLY IT'S THE LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY THAT KNOWS ENGLISH -- AND ASKS THEM ABOUT, "HEY, CAN YOU HELP ME GET INTO THIS WEBSITE AND, YOU KNOW, LOG ON," OR, "CAN YOU HELP ME CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT?"

BECAUSE, THEY ARE AFRAID OF CALLING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IF THEY ONLY SPEAK SPANISH.

THEY DON'T KNOW IF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS THAT LANGUAGE AVAILABLE FOR THEM, SO THAT'S WHENEVER THAT COMMUNITY LEADER, THAT -- THAT PERSON THAT KNOWS ENGLISH THAT INSTANTLY BECOMES THAT LEADER FOR THAT COMMUNITY, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GET IN YOUR -- TO GET KNOWLEDGE TO THEM, SAYING, "HEY, THE VACCINE IS SAFE."

BECAUSE, IF THAT COMMUNITY LEADER TELLS THEM IT'S NOT SAFE, THEY WILL LISTEN TO HIM OR HER, SO YOU HAVE TO BE -- BE AWARE OF -- OF THAT'S HOW IT WORKS SOMETIMES IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

SO, THAT'S A -- THAT'S A LITTLE CAVEAT THAT MAYBE NOT OTHER MINORITIES HAVE BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIER.

IT'S NOT ONLY SPANISH.

THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER MINORITIES, AS WELL, IN NEBRASKA THAT HAVE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AND I THINK WE ARE GETTING THERE, BUT I THINK WE NEED MORE RESOURCES TO PUSH THAT THROUGH.

I THINK IN THE VIDEO THAT GENTLEMAN FROM GRAND ISLAND IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB TRYING TO TARGET THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, TRYING TO LET THEM KNOW, "HEY, THIS IS OUT THERE.

THESE ARE RESOURCES.

THIS IS THE INFORMATION IN SPANISH FOR YOU GUYS."

THAT'S GOING TO BE THE WAY WE CAN REALLY HELP PUSH THIS THROUGH.

>> DR. RAUNER, WHEN IT COMES TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND THE VACCINE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ASK ABOUT CITIZENSHIP, BUT ARE YOU SEEING THE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS BEING HESITANT ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINE AT ALL BECAUSE OF THEIR CURRENT STATUS?

>> I THINK SO, PARTLY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO GET ON A GOVERNMENT WEBSITE, AND PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEIR DATA ON A GOVERNMENT WEBSITE.

AND SO, BY GOING TO THE CLINIC THAT TAKES CARE OF ME, I DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT INITIAL STEP, AND THAT'S AGAIN ONE REASON WHY IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE CLINICS, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY THE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, PART OF A MESSAGE IS HOW YOU SAY IT -- WHAT YOU SAY, HOW YOU SAY IT, AND WHO SAYS IT.

WELL, HERE IN LINCOLN, A HISPANIC FAMILY, THEY MIGHT WANT TO HEAR FROM HORACIO ALVAREZ RAMIREZ, WHO IS A FAMILY PHYSICIAN, NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKER, AT BLUESTEM, WHO IS THEIR DOCTOR.

COULDN'T BE A BETTER MESSENGER TO THAT COMMUNITY THAN HIM, AND THEY CAN GO TO HIS CLINIC AND GET IT, WHERE THEY ABSOLUTELY TRUST HIM.

AND SO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO PUTTING THEIR DATA INTO A GOVERNMENT WEBSITE, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME ISSUES THERE.

AND SO, I THINK THAT'S A COMBINATION OF WHO, WHAT, WHO SAYS IT -- YOU KNOW, I MAY KNOW WHAT THEIR DATA IS -- I MAY KNOW HOW TO SAY IT, BUT ONLY SAY IT IN ENGLISH, UNFORTUNATELY, SO YOU WANT JOSUE IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY IT IN SPANISH.

AND, THEY MIGHT TRUST HIM, OR THEY MIGHT TRUST DR. KING MORE THAN ME, AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT OTHER -- AND, WE'RE ALSO, IN LINCOLN, THE SAME THING, THE BLACK CLERGY IN LINCOLN ARE ACTUALLY UNITING RIGHT NOW AND THEY'RE WORKING ON CARRYING THE MESSAGE TO THEIR CONGREGATIONS.

WHO BETTER TO CARRY THE MESSAGE THAN THEM?

>> DR. MENSAH, WHAT ABOUT OTHER POPULATIONS?

LINCOLN'S HOME TO THE LARGEST YAZIDI POPULATION OUTSIDE OF IRAQ.

NORTH OMAHA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULATED BY THE KAREN IMMIGRANTS FROM MYANMAR, OR BURMA.

LIKELY, THERE'S A LANGUAGE BARRIER THERE, TOO.

SO, ARE THOSE COMMUNITIES LIKELY TO TRUST THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GIVEN?

>> I THINK AS MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, YOU HAVE TO USE THE LEADERS IN ALL THESE COM -- IN ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES.

YOU HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THEIR LEADERS.

PEOPLE TRUST PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE THEM.

THEY TRUST PEOPLE WHO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK.

IT'S EASIER TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE WHEN THEY SEE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE THEM, AND THERE'S ALWAYS THIS CULTURE BARRIER -- THERE'S ALWAYS THIS LITTLE AMOUNT OF MISTRUST.

SADLY ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND THEY TEND TO TRUST THEIR OWN RATHER THAN TRUST IN SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEM.

SO, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY LEADERS.

IF IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THE MAJOR MOSQUE THAT THEY ALL GO THROUGH, YOU GO THROUGH THE LEADERS IN A MOSQUE.

IF IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER FAITH LEADER, IT GOES THROUGH THE FAITH LEADER.

IF YOU REALIZE THAT THERE'S A TEACHER WHO TEACHES IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT IS FROM THAT COMMUNITY, YOU GO THROUGH THAT TEACHER, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET A COMMUNITY TO GET VACCINATED.

AND, YOU TRY TO TRANSLATE THEIR LANGUAGE -- YOU TRY TO TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH INTO THEIR LANGUAGE, BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND.

YOU WANT THEM TO GET VACCINATED, AND ONCE THE COMMUNITY LEADER IS VACCINATED, THEY WILL ALL FOLLOW.

PEOPLE FOLLOW PEOPLE THEY TRUST.

AND, I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED.

>> I ALSO WANT TO TOUCH ON NATIVE AMERICANS, BECAUSE THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES HAVE BEEN SEEN AS LEADING THE WAY ON CORONAVIRUS VACCINATIONS NATIONWIDE.

IN SOME CASES, FULLY VACCINATED RATES FOR NATIVE AMERICANS ARE RUNNING 10% HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE U.S. POPULATION.

SO, I'LL OPEN THIS UP TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO WEIGH IN ON IT, BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES AND WHAT LESSONS ARE WE LEARNING FROM WHAT THEY'RE DOING?

>> I THINK THEY'VE ALSO BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT POPULATIONS.

>> RIGHT.

>> SO, I THINK THEY'VE ALSO SEEN HOW BAD THIS CAN BE.

THEY'VE SEEN EXAMPLES IN EACH HOUSEHOLD, OR THEY HAVE FRIENDS, FAMILY, REALLY TRULY SUFFER -- YOUNG, OLD, DOESN'T MATTER -- THIS VIRUS HAS NO -- NO RACE, NO AGE, NOTHING.

THIS HITS ANYONE.

SO, I THINK AFTER SEEING THAT MUCH, YOU KNOW, DEVASTATION, THOSE COMMUNITY LEADERS SAID, "HEY, WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES -- LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUSH THIS THROUGH."

I THINK IT'S ALL COMMUNITY THERE.

>> AND ALSO, THEIR LOCATION RAN THROUGH THE INDIAN SERVICE, AND THEY HAVE LEADERS.

YOU HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN LEADERS WHO ARE PHYSICIANS WHO SPEAK FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.

SO, THEY WERE RIGHT ON, THEY SPOKE TO THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY SET UP VACCINATING ALL AGE GROUPS REALLY EARLY, RIGHT FROM THE 90-YEAR-OLD TO THE 16-YEAR-OLD, YOU HAD NATIVE AMERICANS BEING VACCINATED.

AND, HE'S RIGHT.

THEY WERE REALLY HIT HARD.

MY HOSPITAL HAPPENS TO BE THEIR REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA, AND WE HAPPEN TO HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE COMING ALL THE WAY FROM AREAS WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO ANY BIG HOSPITAL TO BE HOSPITALIZED IN FAITH REGIONAL.

WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM.

THEY WERE REALLY HIT HARD WITH COVID.

THEY SAW COVID KILL -- THEY SAW COVID KILL PEOPLE -- AND -- AND COVID IS KIND OF IRRESPECTIVE OF RACE, SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COVID, YOU SEE COVID KIND OF THE MORTALITY AMONGST THE CAUCASIANS IS REALLY AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER.

BUT, WHEN YOU GO TO OTHER MINORITIES -- WHEN YOU GO INTO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION, OR YOU GO INTO THE HISPANIC POPULATION, YOU GO INTO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THE NATIVE ALASKAN POPULATION, COVID WAS KILLING PEOPLE WHO ARE MUCH YOUNGER, PEOPLE IN THEIR TWENTIES, PEOPLE IN THEIR THIRTIES, FORTIES, AND FIFTIES, AND THAT'S SUCH A HUGE DISPARITY, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO GET TO THE MINORITIES TO GET VACCINATED.

>> SO, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THIS PROGRAM SO FAR TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF COLORS -- COMMUNITIES OF COLOR -- AND, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

BUT, FROM A MID- TO LATE-MARCH SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE HIGHEST RATES OF CERTAIN U.S.

DEMOGRAPHICS NOT WILLING TO TAKE A VACCINE ARE ACTUALLY RURAL RESIDENTS, WHITE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS, AND REPUBLICANS.

THEY POLLED BETWEEN 20 AND 29% AS SAYING THEY WON'T TAKE A VACCINE.

NOW, AT ONE POINT BLACK ADULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER.

IN DECEMBER, THAT SAME POLL REPORTED 49% OF BLACK RESIDENTS DIDN'T WANT TO GET THE VACCINE.

THAT'S NOW CHANGED.

THE LATEST NUMBERS FROM MARCH POLLING SHOW 10% OF BLACK AMERICANS DON'T WANT THE VACCINE.

BUT, ARE WE SEEING, OR SHOULD WE SEE A SHIFT IN MESSAGING AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO TARGET SOME OF THESE OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT ARE SHOWING TO BE MORE HESITANT TO THE VACCINE?

DR. KING, I'LL ASK THAT OF YOU.

>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I THINK WE STILL NEED TO HAVE MESSAGING GO TO THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR JUST THE SAME.

I THINK THE OTHER POPULATIONS THAT YOU MENTION, YES, THERE NEEDS TO BE MESSAGING THERE, AS WELL, SO I MEAN THE MESSAGING NEEDS TO BE STRONG ACROSS THE BOARD.

IT'S NOT WE SHOULD EASE UP ON ONE COMMUNITY, OR ONE POPULATION AND FOCUS ON ANOTHER.

I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE ISSUE, AND THE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES IS THAT WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE WRONG COMMUNITIES AT THE WRONG TIMES, WHEN WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OR TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO BE EQUITABLE ABOUT HOW THAT MESSAGE IS SPREAD, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS, AND THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING VACCINATED.

WE REALLY NEED TO GET THESE VACCINES IN ARMS.

AND SO, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS IN TERMS OF THE MESSAGING.

>> WELL, DR. KING, LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

DOES THAT MEAN THE MESSAGING IS WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENT?

>> I CAN'T SAY THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY THE CASE.

I CAN SAY THAT WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF LEADERS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT ARE IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS CAREERS, AND JUST OPENING UP THE ACCESSING AND -- AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE VACCINE HAS ALSO BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT THOSE NUMBERS, OR THE RATES, HAVE GONE DOWN IN TERMS OF VACCINE HESITANCY, BUT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS BEING VACCINATED HAS GONE UP, SO, NO, I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION.

IT'S NOT JUST THE MESSAGING.

>> AND, BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS PARTICULAR LINE OF QUESTIONING, DR. RAUNER, I DO WANT TO BRING YOU IN ON IT AND ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RURAL RESIDENTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 35% IN ONE POLL SAYING THEY DON'T WANT TO GET THE VACCINE.

THEY THINK THE PROBLEMS ARE EXAGGERATED BY THE MEDIA.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, NPR REPORTED IN APRIL, IN NEBRASKA, RURAL COUNTIES, ABOUT NINE PERCENTAGE POINTS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN COUNTIES IN THE VACCINATIONS.

SO, HOW DO YOU REACH THE RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH FACTS ABOUT VACCINATIONS?

>> I ACTUALLY THINK SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ARE AT PLAY.

IT'S, AGAIN, WHO'S CARRYING THE MESSAGE.

I GREW UP IN WESTERN NEBRASKA.

I GREW UP IN SIDNEY AND WORKED ON THE FARM GROWING UP, AND YOU KNOW, WESTERN NEBRASKA DOESN'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT.

IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS.

SO, THE GOVERNMENT IS THE WRONG PLACE TO CARRY THE MESSAGE, SO IT NEEDS TO BE NOT A GOVERNMENTAL MESSENGER -- IT NEEDS TO BE LOCAL PEOPLE.

IT NEEDS TO BE THEIR LOCAL DOCTOR, THEIR LOCAL NURSE, THEIR LOCAL HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, THEIR LOCAL EVANGELICAL CLERGY.

JUST LIKE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE BLACK CLERGY IN LINCOLN, WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH EVANGELICALS.

WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM AND THEY SHOULD CARRY THE MESSAGE BECAUSE, AGAIN, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST OUT THERE.

IT'S A VERY LIBERTARIAN "LEAVE ME ALONE" MENTALITY.

I UNDERSTAND IT.

I GREW UP THAT WAY.

SO, JUST LIKE I'M NOT THE BEST MESSENGER TO MAYBE THE GUATEMALAN COMMUNITY, JOSUE'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST MESSENGER TO THE WHITE FARM KID FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA, EITHER, AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, IT'S A MESSENGER PROBLEM.

>> SO, LET'S GET INTO SOME OF THE COMMON CONCERNS THAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINE HESITANT.

JOSUE, LET'S START WITH YOU.

LET'S TALK ABOUT ONE OF ONES THAT WE SOMETIMES HEAR, THAT VACCINES WILL CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS AND THEY WILL BE WORSE THAN ACTUALLY GETTING COVID ITSELF.

>> THAT IS NOT TRUE.

WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS VIRUS, SO IT CANNOT BE WORSE THAN THIS VIRUS.

I THINK A LOT OF THE COMMON SIDE EFFECTS ARE JUST LIKE THE FLU SHOT AT TIMES.

YOU HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN AFTER THIS SHOT, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT WITHIN 48 HOURS, YOU ARE OKAY.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF -- FORGIVE THE WORD -- FEAR MONGERING FROM THE MEDIA.

AT TIMES, THEY GET INFORMATION FROM THEIR FRIENDS SAYING, "HEY, I JUST FELT BAD.

I HAD SOME FEVER.

IT'S BAD, MAN, IT'S BAD" BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THE TRUE -- TRUE FEAR -- OR, TRUE VIRUS, WHAT THAT CAN CAUSE.

SO, I THINK THAT THEY REALLY -- IT'S A PERSPECTIVE ISSUE.

IF YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES AND SEEN WHAT THIS VIRUS CAN CAUSE, YOU WOULD HAVE NO DOUBT IN GETTING THAT SHOT IN YOUR ARMS.

>> DR. MENSAH, I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.

IT COMES FROM ONE OF OUR VIEWERS OVER EMAIL.

HE'S SAYING THE VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED TOO FAST.

DOES THIS MEAN IT'S UNSAFE?

AND, ANOTHER VIEWER WRITES IN, "WHY ARE WE USING A TEST THAT IS NOT APPROVED?

IT'S AUTHORIZED, NOT APPROVED?"

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS?

>> SO, TO THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT IT BEING DEVELOPED TOO FAST, I'LL START BY SAYING THAT THE TECHNOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO.

THE TECHNOLOGY WAS BASICALLY DEVELOPED FOR OTHER CONDITIONS.

NUMBER ONE WAS CANCER.

IT'S ALREADY THERE.

IT'S ALREADY BEING USED IN OTHER VIRUSES, AND WAS NEVER USED IN LARGE SCALE FOR THOSE VIRUSES BECAUSE THOSE VIRUSES NEVER ENDED UP CAUSING A PANDEMIC.

IT'S SAFE.

IT'S BEEN TRIED AND TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES.

HOWEVER, IN 2019, WE HAD COVID, AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY FOR COVID-19, SARS CoV-2 VIRUS.

IT'S SAFE.

IT MIGHT BE SAFER THAN SOME OF THE VACCINES WE HAVE OUT THERE.

BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION BEING RELEASED TO THE MEDIA, PEOPLE ARE KIND OF -- THEY HAVE A BIT OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD.

NOBODY ASKS WHAT GOES INTO THEIR -- INTO THEIR CANCER MEDICATIONS.

NOBODY ASKS WHAT GOES INTO OTHER MEDICATIONS THAT YOU TAKE FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, FOR DIABETES, WHAT THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE -- NOBODY TAKES THE SIDE -- ASKS THE SIDE EFFECTS FOR ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS.

EVERYTHING HAS SIDE EFFECTS.

THE VACCINES ARE SAFE, THEY WORK WELL, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR A WHILE.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT PEOPLE WORKED FAST BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THIS IS A PANDEMIC, THIS IS A PANDEMIC THAT'S KILLING POPULATIONS.

WE NEED TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN START SAVING LIVES.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.

EVERYONE WHO HAS RECEIVED THE VACCINATION WILL NOT SEE ANYTHING ELSE.

THERE ARE NOT MICROCHIPS BEING PUT INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS.

WE'VE ALL BEEN VACCINATED AND WE ARE ALL DOING PRETTY WELL.

NOBODY HAS GROWN A THIRD EYE.

IT'S SAFE.

IT DOES NOT AFFECT WOMEN FROM HAVING BABIES.

PEOPLE HAVING VACCINATIONS IN THE CLINICAL TRIALS, PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED AND STILL GOT PREGNANT.

I KNOW AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN VACCINATED AND STILL GOT PREGNANT AFTER THEY GOT THEIR VACCINATION.

YOU WON'T HAVE SIDE EFFECTS THAT WILL AFFECT YOU IN THE LONG TERM.

>> DR. KING, A SIMILAR QUESTION THAT ACTUALLY GOES DOWN A DIFFERENT ROAD, P.J.

WRITES TO US VIA EMAIL, THE COVID VACCINE, HE'S SAYING, IS NOT FDA APPROVED.

THERE HAS BEEN NO VACCINE DEVELOPED AND ADMINISTERED THIS QUICKLY.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO VACCINES OF THIS KIND USING MESSENGER RNA, SO HIS QUESTION IS, "WHY SHOULDN'T I WAIT FOUR TO SIX YEARS TO SEE WHAT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS ARE SINCE I HAVE NO COMORBIDITIES?"

>> THE QUESTION IS WHY THEY SHOULDN'T WAIT?

>> WHY SHOULDN'T I WAIT FOUR TO SIX YEARS AND SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, BECAUSE I'M NOT AT RISK.

I DON'T HAVE THOSE RISKS.

>> YOU CAN STILL BE AT RISK, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T -- DON'T HAVE A COMORBIDITY FOR COVID.

SO, I JUST -- AGAIN, I THINK IT IS NOT UNDERSTANDING THE VACCINE, NOT UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO READ, TO REALLY MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED.

THE VACCINE IS, AND HAS BEEN, APPROVED.

SO, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT IS COMING FROM, AS THERE'S PLENTY OF INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THAT.

BUT, THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER THAT YOU CAN HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO INTERPRET THAT INFORMATION, IT STARTS TO BECOME CHALLENGING, AND YOU JUST START TO MAKE UP WHAT YOU FEEL YOU'RE READING, OR WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE READING.

AND SO, HAVING PEOPLE THAT ARE WELL-VERSED IN THE PROCEDURES THAT THE CLINICAL TRIAL PROCEDURES THAT'S DONE TO CREATE THE VACCINE, MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE MRNA THAT'S USED VERSUS SOMETHING DNA -- IT'S DIFFERENT.

SO, HAVING TRUSTED SOURCES THAT CAN WALK THEM THROUGH THAT INFORMATION, ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE LIKE P.J., SO THAT THEY ARE NOT MAKING ASSUMPTIONS THAT ONE IS NOT APPROVED, TWO, THEY DON'T HAVE COMORBIDITIES SO THEY'RE OKAY.

WE STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID.

AND, THERE ARE SOME RESEARCH OUT THAT'S SAYING THAT IT COULD AFFECT YOUR HEART MUSCLE.

THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN LONG-TERM THAT WE AREN'T SURE, SO NOT GETTING VACCINATED IS PUTTING YOURSELF AT RISK FOR THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID, NOT JUST NECESSARILY THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE.

>> I WANT TO REMIND YOU YOU'RE WATCHING SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY TONIGHT.

I'M N-E-T NEWS DIRECTOR, DENNIS KELLOGG, AND OUR PANEL, DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, DR. KEYONNA KING, DR. JOSUE GUTIERREZ, AND DR. BOB RAUNER.

AND, DR. RAUNER, I WANT TO ASK YOU THE NEXT QUESTION THAT COMES FROM SUSAN, OVER FACEBOOK.

SHE SAYS, "CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NATURAL IMMUNITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD COVID?"

SHE SAYS SHE JUST KEEPS HEARING, "GET THE SHOT ANYWAY, JUST BECAUSE."

>> WELL, THE ASSUMPTION -- SOME PEOPLE STARTED WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT "IF I GOT IT, I WAS DONE, LIKE MEASLES."

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT AND NOW WE'VE PROVEN THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT CORRECT -- THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING RE-INFECTED ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO NINE MONTHS LATER, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL THREE TO NINE MONTHS HAVE ACTUALLY PASSED.

YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE.

YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN.

AND, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED.

WE'RE ALREADY NOW SEEING PEOPLE GETTING RE-INFECTED.

SO, JUST LAST WEEK, A STUDY PUBLISHED IN A KENTUCKY NURSING HOME -- THEY HAD AN OUTBREAK AND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE GOT INFECTED.

THEY GOT IT UNDER CONTROL AND THEN MONTHS LATER THEY HAD ANOTHER OUTBREAK.

TWELVE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO'D ALREADY BEEN INFECTED, GOT INFECTED AGAIN, ONE OF WHOM DIED.

AND, IT WASN'T THAT LONG, AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE OLDER YOU ARE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET RE-INFECTED.

AND, OF COURSE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN BRAZIL -- BRAZIL THOUGHT THEY GOT HERD IMMUNITY THE NATURAL WAY.

NOW, THEY'RE FINDING THEY HAVEN'T.

AND, ONE THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT JUST BRIEFLY IS THAT THE IDEA THAT THE VACCINE GOT RUSHED IN THE PRODUCTION.

THE SAME AMOUNT OF STUDIES WERE DONE AS ANY OTHER VACCINE, IT'S JUST THEY DID THEM ALL IN THE SAME YEAR.

USUALLY, YOU DO PHASE ONE, THEN THEY STOP.

THEY HAVE MEETINGS, THEY HAVE INVESTOR CALLS, THEY THINK ABOUT IT, THEY PLAN, THEY WAIT SIX MONTHS -- A YEAR, THEN THEY DO PHASE TWO.

THEN THEY-- THERE'S A LOT OF FINANCIAL RISK THERE, AND SO ONE OF THE BRILLIANT THINGS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DID WITH WARP SPEED IS THEY TOLD THE VACCINE MANUFACTURERS, "WE'LL TAKE THE FINANCIAL RISK OUT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THOSE SIX MONTHS OF INVESTOR CALLS AND RAISING MONEY.

JUST DO THEM ALL AND WE'LL PAY FOR IT."

SO, THE SAME NUMBER OF STUDIES GOT DONE -- THEY JUST GOT DONE ALL IN ONE YEAR INSTEAD OF SPREAD OUT OVER A DECADE.

SO, THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENED FASTER.

THE OTHER THING, IT'S -- I THINK IT'S VALID FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HESITANT INITIALLY, WHEN THERE'S ONLY 30,000 STUDIES.

I KNOW A VACCINE PERSON WHO SAID, "I DON'T GET COMFORTABLE UNTIL THREE MILLION DOSES HAVE BEEN GIVEN."

SO, WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT AND ONLY 30,000 PEOPLE GOT IT, IT WAS NATURAL FOR SOME TO BE HESITANT AND SOME AT FIRST DIDN'T, BUT WE PASSED THREE MILLION, WE PASSED 30 MILLION, WE'RE WELL OVER 100 MILLION.

THIS ISN'T NEW ANYMORE AND WE'VE GOT DATA ON ALL OF IT.

>> DR. GUTIERREZ, I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION FROM TAMMY, SHE WROTE IN VIA EMAIL, AND SAYS, "DO WE HAVE TO GET ANOTHER TWO SHOTS IN A YEAR FROM OUR LAST ONE, OR IS IT SOONER?

OR, WILL THEY HAVE ONE SHOT BY THAT TIME, AND ALSO, WILL WE STILL HAVE TO GET THE FLU SHOT, TOO, EVERY YEAR, OR WILL THEY COMBINE THEM INTO ONE SHOT?"

>> WOW, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

I'M GUESSING A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IS LIKE, "WHOA, WAIT A SECOND."

NO, BUT I THINK WE DON'T KNOW.

THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW IS WE DON'T KNOW.

I THINK MODERNA IS DOING -- IS HAVING SOME STUDIES RIGHT NOW OF A POSSIBLE BOOSTER SHOT AFTER SIX/NINE MONTHS, SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS, WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

THIS MIGHT BECOME A SEASONAL ISSUE, OR JUST MIGHT BECOME SOMETHING LIKE THE FLU SHOT, BUT AT THIS TIME, WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF TAG INTO THAT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE OF STUDIES.

>> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

AND, WITH THE VARIANTS, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE BOOSTERS -- THE BOOSTERS ARE BEING MADE TO TARGET THE VARIANTS.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE VARIANTS WE'LL HAVE, MAYBE NINE MONTHS FROM NOW, 12 MONTHS FROM NOW.

I THINK EVERY COUNTRY RIGHT NOW HAS ITS OWN VARIANTS OF COVID.

YOU SEE COUNTRIES BATTLING COVID, RIGHT, YOU KNOW INDIA IS BATTLING THEIR OWN COVID BATTLE HAS ITS OWN VARIANTS OF COVID, AND SOUTH AFRICA HAS ITS OWN VARIANTS OF COVID.

WE HAD THE COVID VARIANT FROM THE U.K., AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED, AND EVEN STATES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE THEIR OWN VARIANTS OF COVID.

WE HAVE THE CALIFORNIA VARIANT, WE HAVE THE NEW YORK VARIANT SO, WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU NEED TO GET VACCINATED WITH WHAT WE HAVE.

AND, WHAT I TRY TO TELL PEOPLE WHO HAPPEN TO WALK INTO MY CONSULTING ROOM IS THAT WHEN YOU GET VACCINATED WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION.

IT'S GOING TO KEEP YOU OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

WE NEED TO SEND THEM A MESSAGE ACROSS THE PEOPLE THAT YOU GET VACCINATED NOW, IT'S GOING TO KEEP YOU OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CASES OF VARIANTS IN NEBRASKA, SO THIS IS THE TIME FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.

WE NEED TO GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED AND HAVE OUR VIRUS NUMBERS REALLY, REALLY LOW, AND WHO KNOWS?

MAYBE THE VARIANTS MAY PASS OVER US, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, MORE PEOPLE -- WE NEED TO GET MORE SHOTS INTO ARMS AND, THE QUESTION ABOUT, "I DON'T HAVE ANY COMORBIDITIES."

WE SAW PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY COMORBIDITIES ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL DIE FROM COVID.

WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL, SPEND MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL, INTUBATED IN THE HOSPITAL, BECAUSE OF COVID.

I TELL MY PATIENTS, I TELL THE GENERAL PUBLIC, "YOU DON'T HOW YOUR BODY WILL REACT TO COVID."

THAT'S JUST THE TRUTH.

YOU COULD BE THE HEALTHIEST PERSON ON EARTH, YOU COULD RUN MARATHONS -- YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOUR BODY IS GOING TO REACT.

IT'S BETTER TO BE VACCINATED THAN TO GET COVID.

>> SO, FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, WE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION THAT WAS SENT TO US VIA EMAIL.

SHE SAYS THAT SHE'S A BLACK, 66-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, SHE HAS A HOST OF MEDICAL ISSUES -- HEART FAILURE, LUPUS, THYROID DISEASE, SHE HAD A GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY, AND KNEE REPLACEMENTS, AS WELL.

SHE SAYS, "I'VE GOT MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT TAKING THE VACCINE."

SHOULD SHE HAVE THOSE CONCERNS?

DR. RAUNER.

>> YES.

I MEAN, I GUESS -- A LOT OF THINGS -- IT'S A RISK VERSUS A BENEFIT.

IT'S A SAFE VACCINE -- IT'S NOT -- BUT, THE RISK ISN'T ZERO, BUT WE CAN QUANTIFY THAT RISK.

LIKE, THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON STUFF THAT JUST CAME OUT.

YES, IT CAN CAUSE A BLOOD CLOT, BUT IT'S SEVEN OUT OF A MILLION, IF YOU'RE A WOMAN OF CHILD-BEARING AGE.

IF YOU'RE A MAN, IT'S LESS THAN ONE OF THEM IN A MILLION.

AND SO, IS THERE A RISK?

YES, IT'S BAD IF IT HAPPENS, BUT THERE'S THE RISK OF THAT ONE IN A MILLION, AND THEN THERE'S MAYBE THE ONE IN A THOUSAND CHANCE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DIE.

IT'S A THOUSAND-FOLD DIFFERENCE.

SO, IF YOU'RE A BETTING MAN, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT THE VACCINE -- NOT TRY TO RISK THIS, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT EVEN CLOSE.

AND SO, PEOPLE -- I THINK PARTLY IT'S THAT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO QUANTIFY THAT RISK.

YES, THERE'S A RISK, BUT THE BENEFIT IS SO OUTWEIGHING IT, AND FOR THIS WOMAN -- I MEAN, HER CHANCES OF DYING IF SHE GETS THE CORONAVIRUS MIGHT BE AS HIGH AS ONE IN 10.

>> INTERESTING QUESTION COMES TO US ON FACEBOOK FROM JOHN, AND HE SAYS, QUITE SIMPLY, "WHAT'S IN THE VACCINE?"

DOES ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE IT?

>> WELL, IT'S BASICALLY THE MRNA, SO IT DEPENDS ON THE VACCINE, SO FOR THE MODERNA AND THE PFIZER VACCINATION IT'S BASICALLY MRNA, WHICH IS SUSPENDED IN A NANO LIPID PARTICLE.

SO, LIPID PARTICLE, YOU CAN EQUATE IT TO SOMETHING LIKE OIL, OR CHOLESTEROL, SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT IS.

THEN YOU HAVE A FEW COMPONENTS TO KEEP IT SAFE AND KEEP IT -- TO BE ABLE TO STORE IT SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER IT FROM THE STORAGE INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS.

AND, I'LL JUST SAY SOMETHING, WHAT BASICALLY IS IN THESE VACCINES ARE THE SAME THINGS THAT ARE FOUND IN OTHER VACCINES.

WHAT YOU FIND IN THE FLU SHOT, SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE MRNA VACCINES ARE FOUND IN FLU SHOTS.

WHAT YOU FIND IN THE ASTRAZENECA OR YOU FIND IN THE -- YOU FIND IN THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON, THESE SAME COMPONENTS ARE FOUND IN OTHER VACCINES, ALSO.

I ACTUALLY DECIDED TO GO THROUGH ALL VACCINES THAT WE HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES AND ALL THESE COMPONENTS, THEY ARE JUST ABOUT THE SAME.

THESE ARE THE SAME THINGS THEY USE TO MANUFACTURE VACCINES.

NOBODY EVER ASKS ABOUT WHAT YOU FIND IN VACCINES.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MOTHERS LEADING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE PEDIATRICIAN, AND THE PEDIATRICIAN GIVES THE CHILD A VACCINATION AND THAT'S THE END OF IT.

BUT, RIGHT NOW, WITH COVID, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE ASKING.

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING ALL THESE YEARS.

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD WHEN YOU WERE A BABY, AND YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, AND YOU GREW UP TO BE AN OLD PERSON.

>> DR. GUTIERREZ, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME TO US VIA EMAIL, "WHY DO I NEED A VACCINE WHEN THERE ARE THERAPEUTICS TO CURE IT AND THE SURVIVAL RATE IS 99.9%?"

>> I GUESS YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE THAT'S NOT IN THE SURVIVAL RATE.

I THINK, AT THIS TIME, WE -- YOU NEED TO THINK OF NOT ONLY YOURSELF, BUT EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU.

JUST LIKE WE ARE A COMMUNITY.

IF YOU ARE A LONER, IF YOU ARE JUST IN YOUR HOUSE ALL DAY LONG, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT SOMETIME.

YOU ARE EXPOSED TO THINGS, BE IT THAT MAILMAN, WHOEVER IT IS, YOU HAVE TO BE THINKING OF EVERYONE AROUND YOU.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY COMORBID CONDITIONS, THINK OF YOUR FELLOW MAN THAT MIGHT.

IF YOU ARE PASSING THAT VIRUS ALONG, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE NO SYMPTOMS, BUT STILL HAVE THAT VIRUS, YOU'RE STILL PASSING IT TO THAT OTHER INDIVIDUAL, SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT, AS WELL.

THERE'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A 99% WHATEVER SURVIVAL RATE, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, POINT ONE, OR ACTUALLY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT JUST THINK OF IT THAT WAY.

>> DR. RAUNER AND DR. GUTIERREZ, YOU'RE BOTH PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.

WOULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT THIS UP BRIEFLY EARLIER, IF WE GET THESE VACCINATIONS TAKING PLACE, WITH A PERSONAL DOCTOR -- SOMEONE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET IT IN THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE AS PART OF A ROUTINE CHECKUP, DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE?

>> YES.

AT THIS TIME, OUR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS IS THE LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THEY HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.

WE'VE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO GET SOME OF THE VACCINES COME OUT OF OUR CLINIC.

THAT HAS INCREASED QUITE A BIT THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE PATIENTS TO COME INTO OUR CLINIC AND GET THOSE VACCINES FROM SOMEONE THAT ALWAYS DOES IT, EVERY SINGLE YEAR, YEAR AFTER YEAR.

THEY KNOW OUR PROCESS, THEY CALL US, THEY -- EVERYTHING IS -- IS JUST THE USUAL ANOTHER VACCINE CHECKUP, OR ANOTHER HEALTH MAINTENANCE CHECKUP FOR THEM.

SO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S KNOWN TO THEM.

IT REALLY EASES THOSE FEARS THAT THERE ARE AROUND THIS VACCINE, SO THAT'S ONE COMPONENT OF IT.

THE OTHER THING IS, IS YOU NEED TO LET THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO THESE THINGS TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.

I THINK THAT PUTTING AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE THAT, YES, IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL IF THE WHEEL HAS ALREADY BEEN RUNNING GREAT FROM PRIMARY CARE OFFICES?

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO ALSO THINK ABOUT, SO I THINK AS WE MOVE ALONG IN THIS PANDEMIC, AND IF THIS -- IF MORE SHOTS ARE NEEDED, IT WILL EVENTUALLY MIGRATE TO THOSE PRIMARY CARE CLINICS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.

>> DR. KING, ARE THERE -- DID YOU WANT TO JUMP IN DR. RAUNER?

>> THERE'S ALSO A BIG ISSUE OF TIMING.

WE'RE NOW PIVOTING TO CHILDREN.

SO, WE'RE ALREADY APPROVED THE 16 TO 18, WITH PHASE THREE TRIALS DONE FOR 12 TO 15, SO IT'S PROBABLY BEING OUT THIS SUMMER.

WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS THIS SUMMER?

WELL, IT'S SCHOOL PHYSICALS SEASON -- SPORTS PHYSICAL SEASON.

ALL SUMMER LONG, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SEEING THEIR FAMILY DOCTOR AND PEDIATRICIAN -- WHO BETTER TO EXPLAIN THEM TO THEM, THEIR PEDIATRICIAN AND FAMILY DOCTOR, RIGHT NOW THAT THERE'S NO PSA OR BILLBOARD CAN COMPETE WITH ME GOING IN AND BRINGING MY CHILD TO SEE PEDIATRICIAN, DR. PHIL BOUCHER, AND PHIL SAYING, "HEY, HERE'S WHY I'D LIKE YOU TO GET THE VACCINE" SO THE TIMING RIGHT NOW IS REALLY IMPORTANT, SO JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, THAT'S WHEN THE SEVENTH GRADE PHYSICALS, THE FOOTBALL PHYSICALS, THE PRE-PARTICIPANT PHYS -- THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE THERE.

EVERYONE'S GOING TO THEIR DOCTOR THIS SUMMER TO GET THOSE DONE.

WHY NOT HAVE THIS BE THE TIME TO START DELIVERING THOSE VACCINES?

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU, IS THERE ANY REASON THAT YOU CAN THINK OF NOT TO GET THE VACCINE?

I MEAN, WE HAVE SEEN HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE VACCINE.

WE HAVE SEEN SOME DOCTORS WHO HAVE COME OUT AND BEEN AGAINST GETTING THE VACCINE, SO IS THERE ANY REASON THAT ANY OF YOU CAN THINK OF THAT IS LEGITIMATE TO NOT GET THE VACCINE?

>> IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ANY OF THE COMPONENTS IN ANY OF THE VACCINATIONS -- IN ANY OF THE VACCINES, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY NOT GET THE VACCINATION.

I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN CONTRAINDICATION TO GETTING VACCINATED.

IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLED CAN GET VACCINATED.

PEOPLE WITH COMORBIDITIES CAN GET VACCINATED.

IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES, YOU ARE ALWAYS ADVISED TO TALK TO YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER, OR TALK TO YOUR ALLERGIST BEFORE YOU GET VACCINATED.

WE RUN A VACCINE CLINIC.

WE PARTNER WITH OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALLERGIES COME TO THE CLINIC ALL THE TIME, AND THEY READ TO US THE ALLERGIES THEY HAVE, AND WE GO THROUGH WITH THEM THESE -- THERE'S ALWAYS A SMALL RISK, HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD GET VACCINATED.

AND, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA OF IT, THE DATA PUBLISHED BY CDC, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ALLERGIES FROM GETTING VACCINATION IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY MINUTE.

THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK, BUT THE RISK IS REALLY MINIMAL AND ALL THE VACCINE CENTERS I KNOW HAVE MEDICATIONS THAT THEY CAN GIVE TO SOMEONE IF THEY DO HAVE A REACTION IN THE VACCINE CENTER.

>> WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOOSENING OF SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS AROUND NEBRASKA.

IS THAT A GOOD IDEA?

ARE WE DOING IT TOO SOON?

OR, ARE WE ON TIME?

>> I THINK WE'RE DOING IT TOO SOON.

I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REQUIRE MASKS AND HAVE THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

I THINK WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS FATIGUE RIGHT NOW AND, IN OMAHA, THERE ARE ELECTIONS, AND POLITICIANS ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING RE-ELECTED, AND SO I THINK THAT ALSO IS A MOTIVATOR FOR SOME OF THEM TO SAY, "YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST HOLD OFF ON THIS MASK MANDATE."

NO, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS UNTIL A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF NEBRASKANS -- WELL, AMERICANS IN GENERAL, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN NEBRASKA, ARE VACCINATED BEFORE WE START CONSIDERING THAT.

LET'S MAKE DATA-INFORMED DECISIONS.

IN OMAHA, SPECIFICALLY, WE'VE HAD A SMALL SPIKE FROM MARCH TO APRIL.

SO, IN MAY, THE MASK MANDATES ENDS.

WHY WOULD WE WANT TO END THAT IF WE ARE SHOWING THAT THERE IS A SPIKE THAT COULD CONTINUE INTO MAY, AND POTENTIALLY INTO THE SUMMER, ESPECIALLY WITH, AS MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, THAT SPORTS ARE HAPPENING, KIDS ARE COMING OUT OF SCHOOL AND GOING TO BE AT HOME FOR THE SUMMER, OR BE OUT FOR THE SUMMER.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STAYING SAFE AND EVERYBODY IS STAYING SAFE.

SO, NO, I THINK WE SHOULDN'T LET UP JUST QUITE YET.

>> JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES LEFT, SO DR. GUTIERREZ, I'M GOING TO TURN TO YOU AND ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE A PATIENT IN YOUR OFFICE AND THAT PATIENT IS TELLING YOU, "I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO GET THAT VACCINE."

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY TO THAT PATIENT TO TURN THEM AROUND?

WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU COULD SAY, DO YOU THINK, TO MAKE THEM THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT VACCINATION?

>> IN RURAL AREAS, I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SEEN -- WE HAVE A LOCAL MEAT PACKING PLANT, AND WE WERE HARD HIT -- CRETE WAS HARD HIT, SO EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, PASSED AND THEY KNOW THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS HAD IN THAT SMALL COMMUNITY.

SO, I THINK THAT THE ONLY THING I'D SAY IS, YOU ARE THE BOSS, BOSS.

I CANNOT FORCE YOU TO DO ANYTHING.

YOU CAN COME TO ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

GO HOME, THINK ABOUT IT.

WE NEED TO DO THIS FOR EVERYONE, TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER.

ALL YOUR FAMILY HAS DONE IT -- MORE THAN LIKELY MOST OF THE TIME A LOT OF THE FAMILIES HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, BUT THERE'S ONE OR TWO HOLDOUTS.

I'M LIKE, "JUST THINK OF YOUR FAMILY.

THEY HAVE DONE IT AS WELL, BUT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO DO IT, TOO."

SO, JUST ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE FOR MORE INFORMATION, JUST CALMING, JUST TALK TO ME ABOUT IT AND WE FOUND A VERY GOOD SUCCESS RATE JUST BECAUSE OF JUST BEING OPEN.

WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYTHING ON ANYONE, AND WE'RE JUST -- YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUSHING IT, BUT NOT FORCING.

WE HAVE 40% RIGHT NOW IN THE FIVE-COUNTY AREA, AND PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE GOTTEN THE VACCINE.

SO, THAT'S A -- THAT'S A QUITE HIGH PERCENTAGE FOR A RURAL AREA, SO I THINK, JUST, IT'S WORKING.

>> CAN I ADD TO THAT?

>> TWENTY SECONDS.

>> YEAH, SURE.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT IN OMAHA, A LOT OF THE PHYSICIANS, PARTICULARLY THE PHYSICIANS OF COLOR, USING MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING AS AN OPTION, AS WELL, TO HELP PEOPLE COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS AND MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION ABOUT WHETHER THEY GET VACCINATED AND POSSIBLY LINKING THAT TO A LOVED ONE OR A GOAL OF SOMETHING IN THEIR LIFE THAT THEY CAN LINK THAT TO AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO HELP THEM CHANGE THEIR MIND AND GET VACCINATED.

>> THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION, AND I HOPE IT'S HELPED THE AUDIENCE HERE AND I HOPE IT'S HELPED THE AUDIENCE AT HOME.

I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

DR. BOB RAUNER, THE PRESIDENT OF "PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHY LINCOLN."

DR. KEYONNA KING, FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER, CENTER FOR REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES.

ALSO, DR. JOSUE GUTIERREZ, A FAMILY PHYSICIAN FROM SALINE MEDICAL SPECIALTIES.

AND ALSO, WE HAVE DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN FROM FAITH REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES IN NORFOLK.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH US FOR HOPEFULLY SHEDDING A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT AS WE LOOK TO THE SCIENCE AND THE FACTS OF THE VACCINATIONS.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THIS DISCUSSION, AND THE REST OF OUR PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN JUST GO TO NETnebraska.org/ speakingofnebraska.

YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL.

YOU CAN FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, AT N-E-T NEWS NEBRASKA AND, THAT IS GOING TO BRING TO A CONCLUSION TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION ON VACCINE HESITANCY HERE ON SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYBODY HERE AT LINCOLN HIGH.

THEY'VE GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE US FEEL AT HOME HERE IN THE SORENSON THEATER.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK, OUR N-E-T CREW, AND ALL OF THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES WHO HAVE MADE TONIGHT'S BROADCAST POSSIBLE.

THANKS TO OUR AUDIENCE WITH US HERE, AND THANKS TO YOU AT HOME, AS WELL, WATCHING AND LISTENING.

IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU TONIGHT.

WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE'LL BE BACK IN SEVERAL MONTHS WITH MORE EPISODES OF SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA .

UNTIL THEN, I'M N-E-T NEWS DIRECTOR, DENNIS KELLOGG.

GOOD NIGHT.

>> SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN PROVIDED IN PART BY "PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHY LINCOLN," AND "THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL."

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