Arkansans ask is underwritten by the Arkansas State Employees Association incorporated, an organization of state employees working towards the betterment of state government.

Good evening everyone.

Thanks very much for joining us.

In Arkansas, across the nation around the World News that COVID-19 vaccines had been approved.

Was greeted as would be the end of a World War.

This particular Armistice, though came too late for the more than two million aboard the planet who died of the novel coronavirus and the 10s of millions who were infected in our state.

There have been more than 300,000 covid diagnosis and more than 5000 fatalities and new cases and additional deaths are reported every day.

So even as doctors continue to emphasize masking and social distancing, hand washing.

Is absolutely essential preventive measures.

The race is underway to immunize, except the race sometimes seems less a Sprint than a marathon, even a crawl, and to some hopefully a very small minority.

A conspiracy?

Well, that's our program tonight.

The status of covid immunization in Arkansas.

How much vaccine is available?

To whom?

When and where?

Taking your questions tonight, Doctor Jose Romero, cabinet Secretary Arkansas Department of Health Doctor Jessica Snowden as chief of the Pediatric Infectious Disease division of you AMS, la.

Shannon Spencer, CEO of Community Health Centers of Arkansas and Colonel retired Colonel Robert Ader, manager of Governor Hutchinson's COVID-19, vaccine deployment program.

Thanks to all four of you very much for coming in Doctor Romero.

I'll go to you first.

The numbers over the past couple of weeks in Arkansas.

Some of the numbers anyway have seemed to be trending in the right direction and a desirable direction from your standpoint.

From any clinician standpoint, there always seems to be a caveat, as if or as in this thing isn't over yet, Doctor.

First of all, thank you for having me tonight.

And no, you're correct.

This pandemic is far from over, but we are clearly seeing a trend downward.

It is sustained with regard to number of cases and number of individuals hospitalised.

I believe it may be a combination of factors.

Probably the most important is that we are getting over that three humped period of time between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years where we had a progressively increasing number of cases.

And as those cases now are leaving, getting better and not getting more cases.

We're starting to see fewer and fewer cases.

I don't believe we're ever going to get down to under 1000.

We can try for that, but I think our set point is going to be somewhere around 1000 cases unless we really adhere to the the three WS right?

The mask, the distancing and washing our hands, but we're making good headway.

I have to ask because it was so recent last Sunday was a good day for Tampa Bay.

Are you looking for a Super Bowl bump?

Should we be fearful of that?

Yeah, you know.

As the governor myself have mentioned, during press conferences that we are concerned about that and we'll see what happens.

We're going to start seeing cases.

Will start seeing them probably this weekend and into next weekend and so that will tell us whether we're going to see a bump or not.

You know towards the latter part of last year, most of the spread was really within families within close groups that were getting together without adhering to.

To the social distancing recommendations and masking so you're bringing people in from outside into your home and contagion was being was occurring there.

Yeah, well, but Doctor Snowden I know that you and other clinicians other practitioners were especially with not only Super Bowl Sunday, but all of the traditional observances for the past calendar year.

You were urging people hold the numbers down.

Immediate family only if even that.

If even that, and I think that's the thing that we're seeing is that we're all underestimating the risk of being around people we know who seem like they're well.

This is different than the flu.

This is different than a cold where transmitting things when we're not aware that were sick.

It doesn't mean that we know and were hiding something.

It means we're actually spreading.

It will not realizing were infected, and that means it's really easy to underestimate your risk of spread.

So we need to think very, very carefully about anytime.

We're indoors with anyone we don't live with everyday.

Is there a reason we need to do that should be doing it without masks?

Is there another way we can engage with our friends and families and colleagues?

Ananla Shannon Spencer.

I know that you are deal.

Your centers are dealing on an all I guess on a daily basis with individuals who became infected from people who did not believe they were communicable.

Absolutely, and that's correct, Steve.

And let me just say thank you as well for granting me the opportunity to be on your show.

Tonight we're dealing with it, but it goes back to the three WS that has been stated.

You know, the importance of wearing a mask, the importance of social distancing as well as washing your hand to hand hygiene is so critical, so we're continuing to make sure that we're on message and support with Arkansas Department of Health, our governor's office.

Just stressing the importance of social distancing and taken every precaution's measure because this virus is real and it is deadly but Colonel later we had some news this morning and that's that the white.

How are the current administration has purchased?

I think an additional 200,000,000 doses of of vaccination of one or the other that have been approved thus far, and a gentleman whose name is household world.

Now Doctor Fouchy believes it by.

Late spring or mid spring anyway.

Practically anybody who wants a vaccination who can be persuaded to take a vaccination can get one.

I mean just come and get it.

Do you have any intelligence on that?

Any any information from Washington regarding that?

Most will Steve thank you for having me as well and and the simple answer is known.

Boy, I look forward to having that problem.

You know, right now we have more infrastructure, more capacity in the state of Arkansas.

Then we do supply and so that's what are big challenges.

So I look forward to having the opportunity to really take this to the next level and get it out and in greater depth in the state.

Very good and to all four of you will be back on this issue and others, but this program actually belongs to the viewers as it should.

And several days ago, we began soliciting questions from viewers as to what they had on their mind regarding the coronavirus.

So we're going to go to one question that came in via voicemail, and this is from Drew County.

I'm trying to get my vaccination and I heard slash yesterday that Walgreens we're now getting him, but when I call Walgreens this morning they said that they used 100 doses that they sent and they didn't.

They could not give me an appointment because they don't know when they will get anymore in 76 years old.

I've got COPD bad because I had lung cancer and so desperately trying to find a vaccination.

And I don't understand why they don't know when or how many doses they'll get again at Walgreens.

Well Colonel later let's go to you because this has been a consistent since the vaccines became available.

The very first days bumps in the supply chain or uncertainties regarding which vendors an where would have the vaccine.

Can you offer some words in that regard?

Absolutely so one of the things we've really really worked on.

I really kind of I message the point that you know, we have three main lines of effort that we're doing the third line of effort was to be set up a system that was very, very consistent and predictable.

So not only are providers, but also you know the citizens of Arkansas.

No.

When an where the vaccine is and the simple answer is you go to the ADH website and it'll take you two.

It's an interactive map that will show you exactly what pharmacies are giving and now you know those pharmacies know what they're going to be getting in two to three weeks that far out so they can plan and set appointments.

That wasn't always the case, but that's what we've done.

You know over the last couple weeks and that's the way we're going to be going forward now.

Specifically about Walgreens.

Walgreens was part of the federal long Term Care Facility program, and that program, you know, was set aside.

You know, from the federal government to go and provide these long term care facilities that vaccine, and truthfully, you know, we've talked about it at length, that you know that the allocation that was given to the program was wildly overestimated.

And so, in an effort to try and really make sure that we're maximizing maximizing our opportunities.

To use that vaccine, you know I was able to work with Walgreens and we recovered about 17,000 doses that we didn't think were are in and they didn't get to use in the long term care facility program.

So we brought those back in just the most efficient way.

To get it out to the citizens of Arkansas, we told we told the of the Walgreens.

Hey, let's put him into your stores and let's go ahead and just get it into the arm of an Arkansan.

And that's the reason why it's it was a short term program of us trying to get it out of that long term care program and get it into the arm of an Arkansan.

So going forward, we will probably bring them back into the program.

But right now we just don't have the supply that to keep them going.

Miss Spencer, are you?

Yeah, are you getting seeing a lot of confusion?

Still in that regard among your clientele?

Absolutely.

But for Miss Betty, just want to say that the local community pharmacies have done a phenomenal job given a short period of time to put so much together and for Miss Betty, you have two outstanding community pharmacies there, but you also have a community Health Center and FQHC that you can actually call.

And again that information is on the Department of Health website as well.

So just I know you asked about Walgreens, but again.

Community pharmacies have done an outstanding job with working and being in partnership with so many entities, including the health Department.

So please contact go on the website for the health Department or see HCA's Community Health Centers of Arkansas website or just your call your local pharmacist.

Very good everybody stand by.

Want to go to another viewer question from a Mr Bart Stafford and most of our many of our viewers know.

The immunizations are being delivered in in tranches based on on demographics.

Mr. Stafford's question, I have looked at the website for the State Department of Health and I only see definitions for tranche 1A through C. None of which I'm in.

I'd like to understand the full range of classification groups to see where my designated group is relative to others.

Doctor Romero, Colonel, that would seem to be.

In your category, sure, I'll take first crack at so.

So those those classifications were developed by the ACIP, which is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices by the CDC.

And so the first group that is 1A was a dedicated to health care professionals, and that's writ large.

That includes not just the doctors and nurses respiratory therapists, but also those persons that keep the institution running so.

Housekeeping, food services, etc.

And in addition to that it included those individuals that lived in long term care facilities and their caregivers.

And that was the first group.

Now our state and each state.

Each governor can modify that those phases as they go forward.

So in our state, our governor decided to add to that Group A special group of first responders.

Because we're a rural state.

Police fire often respond to emergency situations and so they receive vaccine in that large group of 1A.

We've now transitioned on to 1B and 1B category that was originally described by the ACIP was individuals 75 and older and then essential workers and half of the essential workers in the United States.

And that's a rather significant group that includes fruit processing, include emergency responders.

Police which we have not moved over so the governors again could could modify our governor decided to lower the age to 70 years and above and to include in that group as the first group of essential workers to go forward the teachers and so right now we're dealing with those individuals 70 years and above and teachers.

After that will come another group, other groups of essential workers and we are ready to list those at the health Department and then once that group has been dealt with will move on to the one C and the one CR.

The remainder of the essential workers and all individuals that are 65 years and older and individuals at any age who are over 18 that have an underlying comorbid condition.

A condition that.

Makes covid worse and they will fall in that group, and that's where we are at this point.

And if you look around just that is the states around us.

Those categories vary somewhat so that in general is the one group the two group really applies to.

Everybody else in the United States, that is, whether you if you don't have a comorbid condition.

If you're a healthy young man, you would fall under that group, and if you're not an essential worker, so that's the two group as it stands now, so.

Liberal that's it.

Yeah, let me see if I can get another question if I can very quickly because we have several from viewers.

This is from a Pine Bluff viewer we have tended to emphasize.

Perhaps in our journalism that it's a federal responsibility.

State responsibility, hospitals, drug source, part of the federal responsibility, of course, is the Veterans Administration and we have to believe I have to believe that a Mr Bill Rubenstein of Pine Bluff, maybe a veteran himself.

His question.

Yes, my name is Bill Rubenstein and I live in Pine Bluff.

My question is, do we know how many inoculations BA is given out?

I got mine from them and they just they were really running people through in a hurry and I just like to know how many they've actually done.

You know that could help the state.

Thank you.

Yeah my apologies to Mr Starr Rubenstein.

Anyway, docs, no.

Do you want to go?

I don't think I have the actual number for the VA, but Doctor Atur Doctor Romero may have that.

I will say that most of our clinics that have been giving you vaccines have gotten really efficient at trying to get as many doses of vaccine in are Kansas as we.

In a short period of time.

Ramero for a specific number.

Actually Doctor sorry Colonel.

Later May I have that number 'cause that broke was brought up this morning when I spoke with the secretary from the home to VA.

So kernel if you want to take that.

If not then I'll I'll go at it.

Yeah please Colonel go ahead you bet so.

So really it's not a number we normally track and the reason why I say that that comes out of the federal allocation.

So both the Department of Defense as well as the veterans of Department of Veteran Affairs.

They run their own separate program that you know doesn't really.

Co mingle.

Now I will tell you that.

You know, in the state of Arkansas if we have vaccine in a veteran wants to come get a shot.

He is an Arkansan and we will do everything we can to make sure that we're taking care of him as well.

So you know, it really, it's it's.

You know it's not a number we normally track because it's not an allocation that actually comes or we control.

OK, another question from a viewer if we may.

This came in from via Facebook from a Miss Karen Fraser and it goes to that ranch and the demographics and the occupational and the comorbidities.

Why can't age Group 65 to 69 with underlying issues be inoculated in one B?

We are thrown into category 1C.

She says to vie with those 16 to 64 with underlying conditions for for immunization.

Anyone, again, I don't not to monopolize it, but the reason why that was developed was because when when the ACIP when the committee looked at the amount of vaccine that was available and the total population was in each of these groups, the way that we could get the most benefit from the vaccine causing the least amount of harm was to divide it in the groups that we did.

And so those those categories those phases are based on the amount of vaccine that's available now.

As vaccine becomes more available and and if Doctor Fouchy's prediction comes true and we have 200,000,000 more doses, we may be able to expand that group before the time that we were supposed to move into 1C.

So it's supply and demand.

And right now it's demand and so we don't have enough of this vaccine to get to these people.

Let me pose the questions due to the doctor Snowden and Miss Spencer because I know they probably deal with this extensively.

Are you picking up?

Surely you are picking up signs of vaccine of covid fatigue after a year.

Almost people simply tired of hearing about an there, lowering their guard.

They aren't washing their hands as they should.

They aren't wearing the mask.

Doctor will begin with you.

Yeah, I know.

I mean, I think I've when I've been on other settings, I talked about the fact that I'm the first person in my family who's in the medical field, right?

I was first person.

My family who graduated from College in a conversation I had with my family members all the time is will surely this is going to be over sometime soon.

We don't know that it's only over once we continue to do the things that we can do to make it be over.

And I think for all of us we feel like we're up against this wall of fatigue financially, emotionally as a parent.

I had to advise my child right before we started this.

I'm going to live television.

You cannot come in my office naked, right?

I mean every working parent is feeling a different level of fatigue and this fear of a virus we can't predict.

So absolutely everyone from a patient perspective to a family perspective to an employee perspective, we're all feeling this right now, but that doesn't mean we can let down our guard.

And that's unfortunate.

But it speaks to the resilience of us as Arkansans of us as Americans.

To say we will not give up on this, we can contain this.

Yeah listen and Spencer I have to.

Leave it the downward trend.

That's been that we have delighted in reporting in some of the statistics involving Covid in Arkansas in a way could work against practitioners.

Because, OK, maybe this thing is over now.

I mean, my chances are less are smaller and smaller of contracting the coronavirus.

You seeing that dispenser?

No, actually it goes back to messaging and everyone must be aware that it is not over.

We still have to make sure that we take precautious measure regardless if it's our friends coworkers.

It's not over, but we need to make sure that we educate every person regarding the importance of being vaccinated and receiving the vaccine when it comes time to have that opportunity.

And going back to Doctor Snowdons, one thing she didn't talk about with her child is the PS4.

Um syndrome, or just, you know, just dealing with that and just kids with PS4 so her child is not old enough to be talking about PS4 and I had to remind my child that hey.

No more stop the PS4 just for 45 minutes for me please.

And so having that PS4 fatigue like so many families are having but no Steve, we continue to educate.

We're coming up on a year of the first case here so we have to be mindful and stay diligent in making sure that we are hearing to the CDC recommendations that Doctor Doctors note New York and Kering with such enthusiasm that I I can't.

I'll let you go back in on it.

No, I will say this is major.

I am tremendously empathetic with all the work the Arkansas Department of Health has done to try to manage this for our state.

They're doing tremendous work to try to keep us all safe and as a parent of a school age child who should be old enough to know that he doesn't come down naked, I will say our educators are doing tremendous work to try to keep everyone safe.

I've had lots of conversations with my child school with the teachers with the administrators about how to keep everyone safe.

Because our kids really are a unique uncontrollable variable in all of this, but I think the important thing for all of us as adults to realize we can control our behavior and by controlling our behavior, we can contain this.

For Arkansas we I would assume that perhaps a great many in our audience and certainly are for guests have have some news of Sister audree of too long.

She is a French nun who at the age of 117.

As apparently recovered from COVID-19, apparently recovered, and on this day she had a little red wine and I'm told Baked Alaska to go along with it.

We have no one to my knowledge in our audience who was 114, but we do have one who is a delightfully close that's Miss Martha Wilding of Little Rock.

Her question.

I have been trying to get a shot for the virus.

Four weeks and I am over 100.

And I have not been able to get.

I shot from any Bush in Little Rock, AR.

I have called every.

Drugstore you a MF.

And.

The doctors.

Alright, Miss Spencer, let's go to you first because you have such a broad range of individuals that you see in every dynamic.

Any advice for for a senior citizen?

Certainly one who's over 100.

What kind of assistance is available for those who might not have relatives or close friends at hand?

You know, Steve.

Just hearing her talk.

It just touched my heart.

But then I also thought about who does she have that can actually make those calls?

Because I know that you AMS or our Community pharmacy if she actually has articulated her age, they would make every accommodation to make sure she's vaccinated.

I know how they are working very hard, especially for someone that falls in with in her age category.

And just who she is and so that touches me.

So there's someone that's out there listening in the audience that knows her.

I would like to leave my personal cell number and give it to Steve.

I'll give it to you to make sure that she gets the vaccine immediately.

Well, feel free to do so if you if you if you wish.

She's welcome to call.

I mean, I think it's a really important point.

One of the things that we run into that can exacerbate the disparities we see in vaccine delivery is that it does rely on a certain amount of ability to navigate the system, and so don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help.

We, as as Southerners the lifelong Southerner right, we are resilient people.

We can do it ourselves.

This isn't the time that it's OK to ask for help.

Ask somebody to help you get connected with who you need to get an appointment because we are absolutely there for you.

And I will say I felt the same way I wanted to send this woman my email address to say I will get you an appointment because there are people who want to help you.

Fantastic, let me go to a question that came in and Doctor Romero darker later.

This may go to you first, but this is a Facebook question from from an Everly Cornett and it is one it mirrors many questions of almost exactly verbatim.

This individual got the first Moderna vaccination.

And of course is do a second injection of Moderna within I think 30 days.

And it goes to the supply.

Does this individual and others like him or her have any assurance that that second dose will be available?

Doctor Meroe when you want to start?

Sure, I can begin.

Yes.

Every everyone who receives a dose one if it's a two dose series, has that that second those waiting for them and we have it set aside and doctor 8 or can can.

Actually.

I'm sorry Colonel later.

Can actually give you the details on that, so I'll turn it over to him because he's the logistician on getting this done.

Yeah, go ahead Colonel.

Doctor Merrell had it absolutely right.

We when we order the prime dose.

You know they very first shot 2 weeks later we go in order.

The 2nd second shot so it goes through this same location that they got the first shot an we make sure that we get it there for me.

So it is inextricably linked to that first dose.

You know, as a matter of fact, one of the things we often get a question about is when we're reporting our statistics that you know.

Like today we saw was like 68%.

And the reason why is because we go ahead and order that second shot 2 weeks before it's really, truly needed so that our people that are coming in after their 28 days with Moderna that that shot is waiting on them.

So there should never ever be a case in which which their their second shot is not waiting on them.

Excellent, we have a Facebook question from Mary Ann Dyas and this goes to the financial aspect.

Everyone knows that that COVID-19 has absolutely devastated the economy, but it's devastated.

A lot of individuals too and miss diocese question.

Do we have to pay for the vaccine?

Can people be charged to receive the vaccine?

Lashan and you want to start sure?

Or anyone?

The easy answer is no.

There there is no charge for the vaccine.

The vaccine itself is paid for now.

The individual may be charged a fee for administration of the vaccine, but even that is taken care of.

If the individual doesn't have insurance to pay for that so that the health Department we will pay for that, and the bill comes to us.

So the vaccine per say, no charge.

There may be a charge for administration of vaccine, and no one should be charged outside of that and.

Even if they don't have insurance, we will pay.

The Health Department will pay.

You should be able to get your vaccine pre existing conditions and the advisability of covert vaccination.

We have a voicemail question.

I have a deep vein thrombosis compound bow system that, but I thought in my vein and I would I have been told I cannot have a shot.

What do you say?

Doctor Romero, you want to start sure, so that is not a contraindication to receiving the vaccine.

Currently, the contraindications are, if you have an allergic reaction or have had an allergic reaction to a constituent of the vaccine, that's number one.

If you get the vaccine and have an allergic reaction, that is a severe allergic reaction, then you shouldn't get it again.

If you have an allergic reaction to one of the constituents of the vaccine called polyethylene glycol or Poly sorbate.

Then you should not receive it, but outside of that all medical of all other medical conditions can receive the vaccine at this time to to anyone who chooses to address the question.

This keeps coming up, despite official assurances.

Did we go?

Did science move too fast on these two vaccines?

Doctor Snow we didn't.

Yeah I can.

I can speak to this guy answered this question a lot for people, including people who don't know what I do for a living and so they will bring it up spontaneously.

When you've talked to people because everybody is concerned, this feels like it worked fast.

And the analogy I use which I got from one of my nurses is.

This is the difference between a relay race, which is how we've traditionally done vaccine development where we do all of one piece and then finish it before we start the next piece, as opposed to a Lane race where we have multiple pieces working at one time.

The fact is M RNA based vaccines are not new.

This is the first time we've used them in widespread, but they've been used for decades in research studies and in cancer treatment, and so this is not new technology for us.

It does feel like it's moved quickly, but that's only because this is the first time it's become public knowledge.

All of the pieces that we used to make sure vaccines are safe from the FDA and from the ACIP witch.

Doctor Romero chairs have been in place to make sure that we're keeping people safe as we try to contain the virus.

Well, let me stay with you Doctor for just a second doctor Snowden.

We have basically in play now too.

We have the Pfizer and we have the Moderna.

Is there a structural diff?

Is there a significant difference between these two?

No, for those two M RNA vaccine, those are essentially the same.

There are a little bit different in terms of their dosing schedule and in terms of what we've seen from their side effect profile, but they both work the same, and they're both equally effective, and everything that we've seen so far, so that's really reassuring.

If you're getting one versus the other, those are about the same.

One of the things that we're going to see if things continue to roll out is that we have different vaccine constructs that might have different side effect profiles, different dosing schedules, and it's going to be really important that we can.

Continue to have conversations like this where we answer questions truthfully about what we know about the vaccines and how they're working well.

Here is another question involving a vendor, a kernel later, and the availability of the vaccine, and it comes from Southeast Arkansas and a Miss Dolores Gatti Gatti of Pine Bluff.

I live between Pine Bluff and Rise and there's only two pharmacies in Pine Bluff.

Well, once in Pine Bluff and once in Whitehall that are given the.

Shots for the virus.

An one of 'em, the one in Pine Bluff.

It's a fax number and I don't have a computer.

Are are the Internet and the other number, and Whitehall is always busy.

I don't care when you call it an an.

I went to Horizon Pharmacy where they're given shots and they won't give me one because I live.

2 1/2 miles from Cleveland County.

So I'd like to know.

I'm 93 and I'd like to know what I'm supposed to do to try to get an appointment for a shot.

Colonel will let you take that now and that you know that's heartbreaking.

When you when you hear stories like that and we hear him every once in awhile, you know the truth of it is is that you know on the Ath website.

We have a very, very clear interactive map to help help navigate that.

You know, and I don't I, you know, I can only speculate.

You know how?

How this all went down, but the truth is, is that we have on average three different providers in every County in the state of Arkansas.

And I do know that you know Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

We send 1000 doses to them every week.

That would probably be my best guess, but I guess what I'm saying is like if we're having problems with that.

You can also call the ADH helpline and we will help you work the issue as well.

Much reported over the last two to three weeks panel regarding new variant strains of the COVID, and we have a Facebook question regarding that.

Miss Mary Archer wants to know, will there be different a different vaccine or different vaccines?

Plural for the new strain or strains of the coronavirus?

We're getting reports from South Africa and of course from Great Britain.

Perhaps other lands who wants to take that?

So if you do it, I'll take a first stab at it, so currently there's no change in the vaccines that are currently on the market.

There is the possibility that they can engineer or develop new vaccines based on the need.

We know that there's a different vaccine efficacy against these strains.

The two vaccines are currently being used in the United States.

That is, Pfizer vaccines, and modernos vexing both work well against the European of the.

United Kingdom variant.

So we have some cross reactivity against that and it works very, very well.

There is some weakness when it comes to the other 2 three variants that are out there that will be a growing problem, but one way to prevent that from becoming a bigger problem is first of all is a physical mitigation measures.

The three W's that we talked about and second of all is getting the vaccine because if there are less people in which this virus can replicate.

There is a less chance that you're going to develop these vaccines, these variants, and we have a variant of homegrown variant.

I mean the upsurge in cases that it was that is being seen in Los Angeles and in Southern California is due to a California variant that that was developed in this country.

So it's inevitable that you're going to see them.

We will see more of them were keeping an eye on them, and at this time we haven't found any here in our state, but they are in the states that are that are surrounding us alright.

Very good Sir.

Another voicemail question from an individual Little Rock who has some concern about visiting parents.

My parents are visiting from Texas.

Their 80 and 86 and there's not going to be any way to get them home before March probably I'm wondering if it's possible to get from the vaccine here in Arkansas, but which of our doctors or any of our panelists?

Doctor Snowden, you want to start?

I was busy as a pediatrician.

I feel like that's probably a kernel at your question.

Very good take it.

The simple answer is, is that we're trying to focus on on Arkansans and so you know Texas gets an allocation.

Arkansas gets an allocation and so you know the simple answer is is that you know I don't think that they opt for it, you know.

And really I think the biggest part of that is is that you gotta keep in mind that is a two shot regiment and so you know we're talking about, you know at least a month that we're going to be, you know, going through the cycle of doing that so you know I would encourage you.

The parents to do to start the regime at home and and and, you know, make sure that that we we do it back at and where they are OK, excellent and I need to ask this.

Obviously since since the beginning of this.

Episode in the life of the planet, there has been concern about communities of color and suspicion of vaccines.

Indeed of any kind of clinical.

We're talking about Asian communities.

Certainly African American community.

The Marshallese Latino are growing Latino community.

What is being done to address that?

That legacy of suspicion?

That's out there.

Doctor Romero, you want to start.

Sure, of course.

So first and foremost you know its communication and the Arkansas Department of Health.

Individuals within that Department are reaching out to these communities.

We have reached out from the very beginning of the pandemic to the Marshallese community to the Latino community.

African American communities in our state, and delivering messages directly towards them.

We have a robust advertising chemic campaign.

That is was launched just around the Super Bowl and will go forward providing education for that many of us give give lectures and talks on a national level to these organizations that deal with with these specific minorities ethnic and racial and try to educate them there is there is mistrust.

There's no question about it even before the vaccines were launched, we knew that there was hesitancy in all three groups that you mentioned and we're trying to work around it.

The most important thing I think.

For people that are listening to this now to understand is that the vaccines were trialed with significant numbers of minorities, ethnic and racial within their study groups and were shown to be effective and safe because safety is the biggest issue that I've heard and they are absolutely safe.

I have said publicly that I would not recommend this vaccine if I didn't think it was safe and that I would take it when my tent time count came.

I have taken it.

It's absolutely safe.

Alright.

Miss Spencer, you want to pick it up and.

Exactly where he left off.

I've taken it as well, and we're going to have to work together collectively to reverse that.

That particular mindset and community Health Center has have.

Put together, establish communication plans.

We've done radio.

We're really beginning to work with community leaders that actually reside in the minority communities within our Marshallese population.

We've been working with Community Clinic and Northwest Council to make sure that the imessages is appropriate and the Messenger is the appropriate individual to help deliver that message.

So we definitely have, in a very aggressive campaign plan, radio commercials.

We're using a lot of social media, but at some point we're going to have to have those critical conversations to where we really reverse the mindset and really begin to build a trust among minorities in the healthcare community.

Want to move on to another viewer?

Question Doctor Romero and some others addressed earlier in the broadcast you were speaking about comorbidities of, I guess, of an organic nature.

If that's the term for it, we have a call rather.

Voicemail question from Jackson County that goes to pharmaceutical contraindications.

If that's the proper term.

My question is to the doctors if you're allergic to a lot of different medicines, even over the counter medicines?

Could you take that?

Back seat right?

Doctor Romero so without knowing specifically what you're allergic to, what your listener is allergic to.

I can't offer a specific recommendation, but what I should, what I do suggest is this.

Go to the site that's offering the vaccine.

Take your list of allergies with you.

There are physicians nurses who understand what the contraindications are, and they will tell you whether you should receive it or not.

For the most part, with very rare exceptions, everybody is is.

Able to take this vaccine regardless of the type of of allergy you have, again, with very rare exceptions, so there aren't broad categories, doctors, Pharmaceuticals or even over the counter that would prohibit or with that are immediately contraindicated.

Automatically country indicated no no yeah.

The guidance currently is if you've had a severe allergic reaction to something that's injected, so that would be if you've got a private vaccine and you have an allergic reaction or a medication that we give by injection, then you definitely would need to talk to your doctor to figure out what your risk is.

And I always advise patients if you're not sure about what your allergy means in relation to the vaccine, call your doctor.

Your doctor is willing and ready to talk to you about this and talk through your individual scenario.

Another question, this one from Benton County that would seem appropriate for Miss Spencer or the kernel, and it deals with the with the Accessibility and the the interface of the collision between the virus and modern technology.

That question my question is I don't have a computer and every time I tried to call some place that gives the shot they want me to go to a website.

Well, a lot of older people such as myself don't have access to a computer or we don't have email or a website.

We have a telephone.

Most of us have a telephone.

My question is how do I get an appointment to get a color shot?

I AM 72 years old.

La Shannon Spencer.

Any advice there?

Sure?

One thing that I can definitely say about Northwest Arkansas.

Many stakeholders in that area have come together and they have done some innovative approaches to actually reaching out.

There's always a new story that's a broadcast in the news every day with key numbers.

Unfortunately, you know that's how the information is being dispersed, but I know that there are multiple communication forms that they're putting out.

For the general public, in order to get the vaccine, kernel, television, or radio.

That's OK, yeah Colonel, you want to pick it up.

You want to add to that.

Other thing is is that you know call call the Department of Health and you know we do have a call line.

We have people sitting there waiting to be able to access our, you know be able to do that last leg and get a phone number Ann and assist with getting that appointment done.

We have a call from Stone County and it involves those who are may think they are bulletproof or had it once won't get it again.

My question is someone who's never been sick in their life, should they get it?

Also people who have already had it.

My name is Dana and I'm from Mountain View, Arkansas.

Thank you Doctor Romero.

So at this time, yes, you should consider getting the vaccine.

Even if you've had covid in the past, we know that that the protection period, the immunity probably last about 90 days, but you can receive the vaccine anytime and no one is.

As you said, bulletproof.

We.

All of us are at risk for developing covid infection, whether it's severe or not, we can't predict so, in essence, everybody should receive that vaccine.

Very good of Facebook question.

If one has not yet received a shot an immunization for more conventional seasonal flus, the viewer wants to know, does he or she need to have the flu shot before obtaining a covid vaccine?

Is there a specific time or interval between those two shots that you would recommend?

Doc Snowden.

Well, I think we've lost Doctor Snowden's audio Doctor Romero.

Can we pick it up with you?

Yes, Sir.

So so there are recommendations regarding the interval between vaccinations, so you should receive either in the case of the flu vaccine flute, you should receive the vaccine two weeks before you receive the covid vaccine, or two weeks after you shouldn't receive them any sooner than that before after the vaccine.

But otherwise, you can take your vaccines anytime you want.

Very good another Facebook question this from Lily Grice Blackburn.

In the Russellville area, when can we receive the vaccine in Pope County?

Do you have to take a shot yearly like the flu shot Colonel will let you handle the logistical aspect of that question.

Let's Pope County counties.

They're getting a steady supply of vaccine every week, and that won't change.

We're going to keep that consistent flow going in and and that's that's important for every Arkansan to truly understand that vaccines are going to be there for them.

You know, on average in the state of Arkansas.

About 15% of the population has been vaccinated.

Today are at least started the the vaccine protocol, so you know, we've done this by raising every County up at that you know relatively same rate and we notice gaps, especially within the target demographic.

Then we go and try and fill those gaps, and so both counties got the God vaccine there.

It's just a matter of being able to get in line when it's your turn and getting it administered.

Yeah, if I may Miss Blackburn, raises the second question that's a little broader in scope, and that is.

In this era or epic of coronavirus, are we likely to?

How likely are we to see another persistent or very pernicious form of a coronavirus?

Is this something the human species is going to have to get used to tackling on an annual basis?

Doctor Romero so.

Doctor Snowden, go ahead and you you you started.

I was going to say I don't think we know that yet.

That's one of the things, as in when we were talking earlier about monitoring for variance, an monitoring for long-term effectiveness.

This is something that is is not a one and done thing from us.

From a scientific perspective, we're going to continue to watch how these evolve through our population.

Certainly there are a lot of other Corona viruses that circulate in our population year round, causing colds and other things we don't know yet.

If this is going to become.

One of those that's one of the reasons it's really important to go ahead and get vaccinated while we have the chance so that we can protect as many people as possible.

In case this does become a sustained part of what we see in our viral respiratory season.

Another voicemail question, and this involves that second dose.

At this doctor Brad Williams and looking at living in Little Rock, AR.

Inquiring about after I have a second dose of vaccine and have some degree of protection that could be contagious to other people.

Though even though I may have protection myself.

Doctors so I can answer that question if you allow me.

So at this point we do not know whether you or we have received a full immunizing series of vaccine.

Will will not be able to transmit the virus if we're infected, so we could become infected with the virus, yet to have no symptoms whatsoever were protected.

We're starting to get some information on that.

It appears that at least one of the vaccines that are currently available.

Um has some data that suggests that it does inhibit transmission even after you've gotten the vaccine.

But until we know for sure, everyone should wear a mask even if you're vaccinated now that the quarantine recommendations have changed recently yesterday by the CDC, and they say that if you have received a vaccine and you are within three months because it's only a three month period, it's not for life.

But for three months after you have received.

Full vaccination then you don't have to quarantine, but you need to still maintain all of the three W's that you have when you're with people, so you you're still going to have to wear the mask.

You're still going to wash and maintain distance.

And again, I want to make sure that everybody understands this.

It is for three months only after receiving the vaccine.

After that period, then you have to go back to quarantining if you are exposed.

Well.

That important thing about that though, is that that doesn't mean we know that the vaccine only works for three months.

It means we're continuing to cloud their data, and so we'll continue to have more information and more updates from the CDC.

This is a situation where we're continuing to learn things everyday, and updating those recommendations, so one of the things we want to make sure we don't hear from that is, I'm going to have to get re vaccinated in three months.

We don't know that yet.

It's just this is being safe and Mount modeling what we know from natural infection.

To say that three month window question another.

This one came in via Twitter an I suspect the kernel or miss.

Well, I'll leave it open to anyone.

Maybe Miss Spencer.

It comes from a Bart Stafford who wishes to know what steps he should take as a 60 year old plus resident of Hot Springs to ensure that he has access.

Can get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Spend some specific steps if you would.

Miss Spencer, you want to start the Colonel?

Actually, take that all right.

Yeah, so so really as a 60 year old you know this.

You know he's going to opt for the vaccine.

You know in a couple months and so you know just based on this current supply and how it's coming into the state.

So really, you know you gotta do all the things we've been doing with the 3 Three WS.

But more than that, you know, pay attention to what we're putting out every week and then you can go to the ADH website.

It tells you exactly where we are and what phase we're working on.

It in it's updated every day and when we get to the next phases which he would opt for something, then he will know and then you know go go to the pharmacy and like we we've been talking about or to the provider that we've been talking about and then go get the guy on the list and get the shot.

OK, we have spoken and I think earlier you were talking about how if you got the first shot, you're guaranteed the 2nd, but let's address this question.

Anyway, it came in via YouTube from Damita Casey.

Would an individual have to start over if he or she were unable to get the second shot within that 30 day period?

So I can speak to that right after the current record.

Yeah, the current recommendations are that you do not need to start over, so if you're going to be late so long as you're within about a six week window of when you were do, we would give you the second dose and you would not start over.

So definitely, please don't feel like just because you missed your follow up appointment that you shouldn't come back from your second dose.

We still want you to get the second dose even if you're late.

Very good.

Anna question from a mature if I'm reading this correctly.

Who writes via Facebook?

My husband received the vaccine three weeks ago, became ill that evening with what turned out to be kovit.

He's mostly recovered, mostly recovered, but it still suffering from fatigue, chest tightness and a loss.

Some loss of smell should he get the second shot at this point or wait until he feels better?

So the recommendation is that individuals that have covid infection completely recovered from covid before they receive their second vaccine, so I would probably say that based on what you're telling us Now, this individual should probably wait awhile before they go and get the second vaccine, but they should get the second vaccine very good from a Miss Smith Twitter question is 80 and Department of Health considering sending direct Mail using direct Mail to contact households with information such as phone numbers or other Internet based sources of information they can use.

The outreach, uh, the question I guess, goes to the outreach Doctor Romero.

So at this point we don't have direct mailing on the list of things that we're considering, but certainly that is something we could consider in the future.

But no, we're not another Twitter question to anyone.

Can you give us an update on the J&J?

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine?

Where does that stand that's I believe the one shot application?

Right, so the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has applied for FDA review, and that review will occur at the end of this month.

I believe it's a 26 or so of this month.

At that time, the Advisory Committee to the FDA will make a determination on whether the vaccine is efficacious and safe, and we should have an answer at that time.

Within 24 to 36 hours.

After that then the ACIP will make its recommendations regarding about.

Receive that vaccine and then from discussions that I had recently.

I understand that within 24 hours of having the vaccine approved by the FDA, they will be ready to ship it to the to the states will be about 7,000,000 doses initially with a goal of 100,000,000 doses in June.

OK, perhaps for Miss Spencer or the Colonel went on Twitter question when should individuals age 65 or 70 be able to get the vaccine?

Should and I guess the essence of the question should.

Any should anyone be signing up at multiple locations to get the immunization?

Now please do not sign up at multiple locations, but just to go back the Biden administration actually announced this week, a plan to provide community health centers across the country with 1,000,000 doses.

Actually a week, and let's just be clear, it takes time to actually reach that goal on a national level, but we will be joining the state and actually having within Community health centers.

The covid vaccines and going back to the point of being able to do actual Mail out.

We have a patient data database within our electronic health records where we will be able to call our patients to be able to inform them that they can actually come to actually get the vaccine, and so For more information on where Community health centers are located in the state, you can go to www.chc-ar.org and so Community health centers within the next few weeks will begin to have the vaccine.

Alright, excellent, maybe we can get this question in.

I received from Miss Linda came or she received the second dose of the vaccine only yesterday.

Her husband turns 70 on March 12th.

Can she infect him if she is to kind of resume her social life?

I assume and when will one CV be available?

So I think this goes back to the original question.

That is that we don't know yet about whether the vaccine prevents transmission.

The vaccine itself you receive is not alive, so they won't infect the person, but it doesn't mean that the recipient of the vaccine can't be infected by virus, so vaccine does not transmit disease itself.

When will we go to the next phase?

That depends on the amount of vaccine we have coming into the state, and how fast we can get through our Phase 1B so.

At this point, I don't think I would venture a guess.

We need to see how well we can get the rollout, and it it we need to hit a threshold of of individuals immunized.

We're shooting for about 70% of the population within a phase or when there's significant decrease in uptake.

We seem to have lossed doctor Snowden.

We are effort ING mightily to get her back online.

Why?

Well, we have reached the end of the over the air portion of our program program, and yet there is still.

More to come.

Some of you been watching on YouTube and in just a moment our coverage will continue more of this subject, so we invite those of you who have been viewing via the airwaves or on cable satellite to join us on YouTube for the balance of our conversation.

More information coming.

The address right on the bottom of your screen.

Youtube.com/arkansas PBS.

Our panel will remain in place.

Hopefully we can get Doctor Snowden back as well.

And will resume in just a moment.

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