WINDS. BEN: THE NATIONAL VACCINATNIO EFFORT REMAINS SHORT OF ITS ALGO TO DISTRIBUTE AT LEAST ONE COVID SHOT TO 70% OF AMERICAN ADUL.TS HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. HELEN BOUCHER, THE NEW INTERIM DEAN OF TUFTS MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENT.ER GO TODO SEE YOU. MASSACHUSETTS HAS ONE OF THE BEST VACCINATION RATES IN THE COUNTRY, AND OUR CASE NUMBERS REFLECT THAT. WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT LOW RATES OR OUTBREAKS IN OTHER STATES? DR BOUCHER: WE ARE NOT ALL SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS PROTECTED. ETH LONGER IT IS ALLOWED TO CIRCULATE, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS WE WLIL SEE YOU TATIAN’S AND VARIANCE, PERHAPS SOME THAT COULD OUTFOX VACCINES AND TREATMENTS. IT IS IMPORTANT WE DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR EFFORTS TO GET EVERYONE VACCINATED. BEN: WE ALL PROBABLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO REFUSES TO GET VACCINATED. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS? HAVE YOU FOUND A MESSAGE TTHA WORKS? DR BOUCHER: FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE LISTENED AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES. FOR SOME FOLKS, IT IS STILL AN ISSUE THAT THEY CANNOT FIND A PLACE TO BE VACCINATED AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TOE B RESPONSIBLE TO HELP PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. OFTENTIMES WE COME BACK TO THAT MESSAGE THAT GETTING COVID IS WORSE THAN THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE. VERY VERY EFFECTIVE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE AND WE KWNO COVID CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESS. NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE THIS DISEASE AND OFTEN TESIM TALKING THROUGH THOSE CONCERNS WITH PEOPLE HELPS THEM GET TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY WANT TO BE VACCINATED. BEN: WE’VE RECEIVED EMAILS FROM VIEWERS FFERING THEIR THEORIES ABOUT THE HOLD-OUTS. KELLY WRITES, I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO ARE RELUCTANT TO GET THE VACCINERE A SIMPLY AFRAID OF NEEDLES. THAT FEAR IS REAL FOR A LOT OF PEOP.LE WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? DR. BOUCHER: IT IS REAL. MY ADVICE IS TELL SOMEBODY BECAUSE WE WILL WORK WITH YOU. I HAVE SEEN NURSES WALK THROUGH ALLDS KIN OF THINGS THAT HELP PEOPLE GET THERE. THE KEY THING IS LET SOMEBODY KNOW THAT IS YOUR ISSUE AND WE WILL WORK WITH YOU. BEN: HERE’S ONE FROM ROBERT. HE WRITES, I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WON’T GET THE VACCINE BECAUSE THERE IS NO SOLID INFO FROM THE FDA STATING THAT THE VACCINES AR E SAFE FOR ANYTHING TBU EMERGENCY USE. WHEN WILL THEY GET FULL APPRALOV IT’S A GOOD QUESTION. DO WE KNOW THE TIMELINE FOR THAT? .DR BOUCHER: THE ANSWER IS ANY DAY. I WILL HIGHLIGHT THAT WE KNOW THE VACCINES WE HAVE ARE SAFER THAN GETTING COVID BASED ON THE DATA WE VEHA NOW UNDER EMERGENCY USE. WE HAVE DATA ON NEED TO BE IN THE ICU AND DEATH AND WE KNOW THE VACCINES PREVENT THAT IN WAYS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL. 90 TO 95% EFFICACY WE HAVE TALKED SO MUCH ABOUT. WE CAN BE SE UROF THOSE DATA EVEN UNDER THE EMERGENCY USE. BEN: TENS AND HUNDREDS OF MILLION PEO

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Video: Boston doctor says we should care about other state’s COVID-19 vaccination rates

Updated: 7:19 PM EDT Jul 6, 2021

Anchor/Reporter

Dr. Helen Boucher, of Tufts Medical Center, says everyone is still in danger of the coronavirus as long as many people remain unvaccinated.

BOSTON —

Dr. Helen Boucher, of Tufts Medical Center, says everyone is still in danger of the coronavirus as long as many people remain unvaccinated.

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