Second, support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUARFM 89.

Hello and welcome to Arkansas week.

I'm your host Dana Tyrell, sitting in for Steve Barnes.

We are losing ground in the fight against the coronavirus, the number of cases, the number of hospitalization, the number of deaths all up.

Our worst increases since February this week the state of Arkansas reported the deaths of children for the first time since this pandemic began.

Two children, one died in late 2020.

Other, according to the state, more recently, and at the moment, that's all the information we have on that.

But joining us to talk about how you can protect your kids are Doctor Joe Thompson, CEO and president of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and Doctor Jessica Snowden, chief of infectious disease at Arkansas Children's Hospital.

I want to thank both of you for being with me, since we're talking about the deaths of two children, doctor Snowden, I really want to start with you on this.

What's the status at Arkansas Children's Hospital right now in terms of?

How many COVID patients you have?

How many are in ICU and how many are on a ventilator?

Right now we have 13 children in our hospital, sick with COVID-19 infection.

Seven of those are in the ICU, and three of them are on ventilators.

Importantly, none of them are fully vaccinated.

We really are seeing our unvaccinated patients are the ones who are at greatest risk here.

So when you say none of them are unvaccinated, some of them are at least at the age where they could be vaccinated, correct were frequently seeing this are sick children are teenagers over the age of 12 who could be vaccinated.

But aren't yet.

OK, so that could have been prevented.

Could have been prevented.

And that leads me to you, Doctor Thompson.

How do you get people to want to take this vaccine, or at least want the vaccine for their children?

Well, I think we're in a critical time for parents of children going back to school or college students going back to college.

You know, we are weeks away from the start of school and college.

And if we don't start getting kids vaccinated now, they will not be protected when they go back.

So we must move folks.

From an unprotected state to a protected state, this delta variant we see is far more infectious.

It is causing more harm to younger individuals.

More than half the cases in the last week had been in people under age 35, so this is moving into a younger population and placing our children at risk.

Explain why that is.

Why are the cases so young now?

Well, I think there are two things I think this delta variant has mutated so that it is far more infectious than the parent virus that we dealt with last year, and then we had more vaccines.

In our older population, so this virus is praying on those individuals across all of our communities that are unprotected.

And unfortunately we cannot protect our children under age 12, but I think it's important to point out because a lot of people don't understand this, that even if you do get the vaccine, you can still get COVID and and importantly you can spread it.

Well, I think what we know now with this delta variant is the vaccines are not 100% protective against becoming infected, but it does help reduce hospitalizations.

And of course the worst outcome of death in almost all cases.

If you are vaccinated but we just have 60% of Arkansans that could be protected or not and this virus has made us the hot zone for the nation.

Now, Doctor Snowden, a lot of people are weary of taking this vaccine for a number of reasons, but.

Let's talk about the vaccine itself.

Many people feel it's not safe to have that injected in your body.

And that's we've given this vaccine to millions of people now, and we are watching the safety profile of this vaccine very, very closely.

And what we have found is that the symptoms that we reported initially in the clinical trials are by and large the symptoms that we're seeing in large scale.

You feel that flu, like illness after you get vaccinated because your immune system is doing its job and responding to the vaccine.

But after those symptoms are over, you or cover and you're protected.

For a very long time so far, we really haven't seen any waning of protection.

And like Doctor Thompson said, it protects you against getting seriously ill and ending up in the hospital even with the Delta variant.

And importantly, while you might have breakthrough infection, we also actually now know it keeps you.

You don't shed as much virus if you're a vaccinated person who gets sick.

As an unvaccinated person, so it's going to help you protect your community as well.

You're much less contagious to other people, even with the delta variant.

What's in the vaccine?

Let's talk about that because there's proteins and stuff in there.

Uh, what exactly is going into arms when you inject that shot?

And it depends on the vaccine.

So the M RNA vaccines, which are ones we've used, probably the most up here in Arkansas.

The Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccines.

But M RNA is it's it's essentially we've got our M RNA and then a couple of things that help you absorb it into your cells.

M RNA is like a blueprint that tells your cells this is something I want you to make.

And so we inject it and you make with the blueprint says and then your body crumples up the blueprint and throws it away.

It doesn't permanently change your DNA, it just makes the set of instructions.

And then it's gone, and so the few vaccine components and those are all listed on the CDC website.

You can see them.

It doesn't include things like eggs or things that are allergic potential.

In that regard, it's essentially just the fluid and the M RNA.

So very very straightforward and very effective in generating a long lasting immune response.

OK, Doctor Thompson, I still think a lot of people, even with hearing that explanation, which is a very very good one, they're going to say yeah, but the FDA never really approved it.

So so let's go there.

I think the FDA will approve these vaccines in the near future.

One of the reasons that they have not approved them yet is they are independently reviewing all of the evidence to make sure that there's no hidden surprise on adverse effects or anything like that.

See what you just said there no hidden surprises.

Now you're telling people to take this vaccine, but you're saying they have yet to discover if there's a hidden surprise.

But what I can confidently say is there is an active threat in every retail store across Arkansas.

In this moment the viruses out there.

It's spreading quickly and it causes harm.

So it is a risk benefit decision people have to make.

I would add to doctor Snowden's description.

I mean, this is a novel virus that our immune system has never seen.

I find that when I tell people it's like given given your immune system that FBI most wanted list of what to watch for and what we know from the safety trials from the efficacy trials and from now having given it to a.

100 million people or more across the United States.

Adverse effects are incredibly rare, and the protection is incredibly high, so it really is important to recognize the virus is the risk that you should be worried about Doctor Snowden?

Let's talk about all new hires and managers.

Hospital leadership now required to get the vaccine.

That's a bold statement coming from Arkansas Children's Hospital requiring people workers to get the vaccine.

Is it that bad?

It it it?

We believe that wholeheartedly in the science of this and how important it is for us to take this step to protect the children of Arkansas and the children we care for.

Here the best thing we as vaccine eligible adults can do to protect the children in our care around the state is to protect ourselves and get vaccinated.

It makes us less likely to get sick.

It makes us less likely to spread infection and it we hope shows the Community how fully we believe in the importance of the vaccine.

And the science of what we're doing here.

And that we're doing this to keep your children safe.

The numbers were not spiking like this.

Doctor Thompson when folks were wearing masks and now we're going to send kids back to school.

That mask mandate is gone.

How do you think that's going to turn out?

Well, I've been talking with superintendents across the state both in our large cities and our small communities, and candidly, many of them are panicked.

They see that rate going up at a steeper slope than we ever saw it before.

They know that the kids under 12, we cannot protect with a vaccine and too many teenagers are not getting the vaccine, and our General Assembly has handcuffed our local leaders so that they cannot require a mask.

At this point in time.

This is a real threat to our educational efforts coming back to school this fall and and and when the legislature made that decision numbers were going down, things were looking better.

I know there's a group of Democrats that are pushing to erase that mandate.

Do you think there is there any wiggle room in there?

Is there anything that can be done to eliminate the ban?

Well, obviously the governor and the General Assembly can change the law.

They have to come together to do that.

The General Assembly leadership, I believe, should come.

Out of recess and address this now so that we could safeguard our educational efforts this fall and prevent serious illness and potential death among our kids.

You know, one of the things I want to talk about too, since we're talking about children, I want to talk about pregnant women.

UAMS.

They've seen babies die.

Some women have been in dire situations who were unvaccinated.

Your thoughts on that?

Well, I think this virus, as I mentioned, is.

Targeting younger people who are not vaccinated.

The American College of Obstetricians strongly recommends that pregnant women be vaccinated to prevent what you are describing.

I know you a mess at one point in the past few weeks had 20% of its admissions be pregnant.

Women coming in with COVID and they did have bad outcomes because the women are already stressed and carrying the unborn child.

And the virus can push them over the Cliff and doctor Snowden.

In addition, we're talking about COVID here.

But in addition to everything that's happening there.

At children in terms of COVID, you're also dealing with other respiratory viruses like RSV.

Absolutely.

And as we have removed masking, what we're seeing is that all of our viruses that had lain dormant while we were all wearing our masks and not sharing our germs have come back with a vengeance.

And so for all of us as parents going back to school, facing the idea that every cold could be COVID could be RSV could be who knows what it's a very concerning time for all of us as we go into the next few weeks and it's going to be important for everybody to do everything they can to stay safe.

OK, so how do we protect our kids in the school?

As it stands right now, for every parent, if your child is over age 12, I encourage you to move them from an unprotected situation to a protected situation as quickly as possible.

For children under age 12, it's time to bring back our defensive mechanisms of masking hand washing, distancing, and to model that for your kids in the next few weeks and engage with your school leadership to try to have that be the practice in schools.

The Catholic Diocese came out and said all.

Kids in Catholic schools will be wearing masks, and as we just mentioned, I hope our leadership in the General Assembly will reconsider the decisions that they made last spring.

OK, the Delta variant, obviously more contagious.

We talked about that and you mentioned it's in unprotected communities.

You use the word unprotected communities.

Well, we know if you are vaccinated then you have protection.

It will prevent you from serious outcomes like hospitalizations and death.

If you are not vaccinated.

Your immune system has never seen this virus before, and it is looking for you and it will find you and you will end up in dire situations too many times.

So unprotected communities or those that have not gotten the vaccine and we have pockets across the state, we have 60% of Arkansans that could be vaccinated now that are not.

We only have a minute left, but I guess Doctor Thompson.

I just want to know what are your thoughts for the future of Arkansas?

I'm very concerned.

Donna with the spread that we're seeing with the slope is higher.

The slope is steeper than it was at the worst time.

Last year, and with that spread comes the potential for more mutations where this virus could become even more aggressive or more harmful and potentially come out from under the protections of the vaccines that we have now.

So we must do everything we can to decrease the spread and protect individuals that we can protect.

Well, I certainly do hope that everyone will get the message on this and I do want to thank you.

Doctor Thompson and Doctor Snowden for joining us for this very important conversation.

Hopefully your words will resonate.

And people will get the message and step up to the plate and do something.

Especially since our kids are going back to school.

Thank you for having us.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Some churches in Arkansas have answered the governor's call for help and getting more people vaccinated.

Arkansas PBS public affairs correspondent Chuck Dovish takes us to a church in Fayetteville offering a drive through clinic.

It actually gives me chills to see people showing up because, you know, you put it out then.

You don't know who's gonna come.

Saint James Missionary Baptist Church in Fayetteville, along with their food pantry, added the opportunity to get a COVID vaccine.

I went to talk with some of those.

Who came along with church leaders on the importance and impact of conducting this type of clinic as a community member and a leader in the community, I want to be upfront to say I've been vaccinated, my family's been vaccinated and I just don't want to talk to talk.

I want to walk the walk and I was willing to be here to hold hands, to walk alongside any other Community member that was having fears and to help dismantle those fears.

I've heard that I don't want to die after I get that shot and I told him you're playing Russian roulete If you don't get it.

Sometimes people want to see someone that looks like them that's getting vaccinated.

I'm gonna tell you it makes me feel confident that our community is doing what we need to do to stay safe in order to function on a daily basis.

We get people driving up for the food pantry.

And if they're coming for food, they can come for a vaccine.

And that way it keeps us all safe.

So you have already taken the vaccine.

I understand, yes, Sir, I have you are here to have your granddaughter who's 1314.

Yes, take it.

So how did how did that go with it?

Convincing her it really wasn't too bad.

She plays sports and she just wanted to make sure that she was protected as well as her and their teammates so it wasn't too bad convincing her to come.

Well, I think one of the things is very important for us is to be a good neighbor.

I am part of being a good neighbor.

Is to making sure that we create an environment that is not going to create havoc hail or or trauma to other people and so we believe that in the period that we are in right now, the season that we're in that the vaccinations are extremely important for us to get to.

What I believe is going to be a new normal and so for us we want to meet the people where they are here in this Community and provide an opportunity for them to get vaccinated so they can be good neighbors.

The seed people here.

Lets us know that oftentimes it's just a matter of access and then also just education, and I think what's happening here.

They're asking questions and getting educated, but they also have access that we're bringing it to their neighborhood.

Some of the folks here are not ordinarily able to go anywhere because they just don't have the transportation and the means to do so, and so meeting people where they are.

It's very important to us getting the unvaccinated vaccinated is of utmost importance, especially in Arkansas and Missouri.

The current COVID hot spots as shown on this US map graphic according to epidemiologist Doctor Ben Amic at UAMS.

It's the low vaccination rate that got us to where we are now.

We were not a state that was.

Vaccinating as heavily as we should have.

Uhm, for a lot of different reasons.

And, uh, we were very much into pandemic fatigue.

People were done with it in Arkansas.

They were just done with it.

Just done with it.

Well, this is just one of many clinics that have been sponsoring clinics around the state since the beginning of the year and with plenty of doses to go around.

Arkansas is still behind the curve in getting shots in arms and unfortunately as you see, the cases have started rising again.

Doctor Cam Patterson, Chancellor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, joins me now to talk about this.

Doctor Patterson Dr Amick said, people are just done with it.

COVID fatigue is real.

Isn't it?

Oh, without a doubt and it's COVID fatigue and the communities.

It's also COVID fatigue among health care providers.

You know our teams are worn out.

They are working harder than they are used to taking care of more patients.

They're seeing people who are sick.

Are they feel that some of this is preventable?

So our health care providers are are done with this too and ready to be able to turn pages of history on COVID-19 Unfortunately, we're not there yet, right?

Well, we're not.

And listening to that story we just aired.

You know, one of the ladies said that there are people out there saying I don't want to take this shot because I don't want to die.

People are afraid of the vaccine.

How do you combat that?

Well, I I think that there are a couple of things to say.

First, hundreds of millions of doses of these vaccines have been administered here in the United States, so they have an excellent track record of safety.

These are among the most effective and safest vaccines that have ever been developed.

So the science tells us that rolling up a short sleeves is the right thing to do.

But you know, let's put it in perspective.

We have almost 60 patients here at UAMS today who are sick in the hospital because of complications.

COVID-19, some of them are on respirators, they're in intensive care units.

Some of them are on heart lung bypass machines.

We've got zero patients in the hospital right now because of complications from the vaccine.

Very good point, you tweeted this week that the hospital was full, so are you in a position to turn people away with more people getting sick from COVID?

Not to mention other illnesses.

Right, that that's an important point.

You know our hospitals not just, Umm, but across the state or or full or close to being full, and that affects people who are getting complications from COVID-19.

But that affects people are having heart attacks.

People having strokes.

People are having cancer diagnosis.

So this impacts all of us whether we have COVID-19 or not.

And you know, we're not going to turn people away if they show up and need help help here at UAMS.

But it does mean that we have to stretch our resources and our nurses have to take care of more patients than they normally do.

Our doctors have to take care of patients that they don't normally take care of, and eventually if the numbers keep going up, we will exceed the resources that we have to take care of patients here in the state of Arkansas.

So we say, if the numbers keep going up and every day we're seeing more and the numbers are getting greater.

So when you say that we may exceed.

Our ability to help people.

What's the solution to this?

I mean, the first thing comes to my mind is herd immunity.

But then again, how many people do you have to lose before you get to that point?

Well, I I think it's important to keep in mind that if everybody who was unvaccinated today got vaccinated here in Arkansas, got their first dose, it would take a month or six weeks for them to get their second dose and develop full immunity.

So the what we need to do in the short term is the tried and true people need to be masking up.

People need to maintain social distance.

People need to be careful about being an indoor environment.

Others that they don't know that's going to be the short term solution.

Otherwise, even if everybody started getting vaccinated, the numbers are still going to go up.

Yeah, now you report it this week.

UAMS reported this week that one of the vaccination clinics is closing.

That surprised me.

So why is that when we still need to vaccinate more people?

We we do need to actually more people and that doesn't mean that UAMS is getting out of the vaccine business at all.

What it does mean is that we need to take the resources that we have directed towards getting people vaccinated and go to communities.

We need to to work directly with communities to go to places where people have not been fully vaccinated and to make it as easy as possible.

Working in conjunction with trusted Community members such as the ones that we saw in Fayetteville earlier.

In the show and and to help get help from them to get more people to roll up their shirtsleeves.

Some of the vaccines are expiring at the end of the month, So what happens and how do we need to replace them at this point?

I I think we need to continue to do what we're doing.

We need to trust that the supply of more vaccines will continue to come into the state on, and I don't think that because some vaccine doses will be expiring should be a cause for panic.

You know what what we should do is to continue to work with our communities to get people to trust in the idea that this vaccine is good for you, it's good for your family.

It's good for your church.

It's good for your school.

It's good for your community.

You know.

This week I interviewed Doctor Bashar shoucair, the White House vaccine coordinator.

You probably talked with him yourself.

He said that there is so much misinformation about this vaccine, so much misinformation about the virus itself.

How do we combat this in the state of Arkansas?

And did he offer any suggestions to help us?

I I didn't get a chance to talk to him.

It was a very productive conversation and he has a lot of great ideas about how we can improve vaccination rates in Arkansas.

A lot of what he shared with us are the same things that we have been talking about today, so you know, I think that we are on the cutting edge of increasing awareness about the benefits of the vaccine.

The misinformation, though?

That's a national problem and.

Frankly, this is something that we've never dealt with to to this extent, and you know, it's important that we find trusted people in that Community who can help us to combat this misinformation.

If somebody doesn't trust me.

Let's find out who you will trust and get that person to tell you the truth about the vaccine.

The truth about science, and you know, and let's realize that you know this misinformation, swirl that has been propagated is standing in between US and a healthy society, and there will.

There are some who will say that politics plays a role in this as well.

Do you agree?

Well, it's it's clear if you look at the states that are on having challenges with their vaccination rates.

Right now their states that probably lean a little bit in the conservative direction.

But you know, let's think about what is driving the the low vaccination rate.

Some of it is misinformation and and that's coming from certain news sources that that people maybe.

Exposed to more, but it's also because people are who are.

Vaccine hesitant, tend to be people who don't have high school education.

People who are in lower socio economic strata.

People have poor access to health care that describes a lot of rural Arkansas and that is not necessarily a political issue.

That's an issue of social determinants of health.

So with all of this in mind, what's the game plan?

The game plan is that we need to to realize that with school coming back in session, things are likely to get worse before they get better, even if everyone immediately got vaccinated and we need to realize that in spite of the COVID fatigue that you talked about, that we all need to keep playing this game because you know, the we're, you know, we may be in the fourth quarter, but the game is.

Not over, and we need to do everything that we can to convince those who are vaccine.

Hesitant that this is the right thing to do.

Keep in mind if everyone in our state who has been vaccinated in this one other person to get vaccinated, we go from 35% vaccination rate to 70% vaccination rate and we'd be in a much different situation.

So a lot of people are keeping their fingers crossed that that's how this will pan out.

Alright, Doctor Cam Patterson, Chancellor of UAMS.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you.

Thanks for joining me for Arkansas week.

I'm Donna Torrell sitting in for Steve Barnes.

Take care.

Second, support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUARFM 89.