REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO, AN ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONALS WHO BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE, FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE >>LORENE: HELLO, I AM LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO A VERY IMPORTANT EDITION OF REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

OUR GUEST TODAY AND IT IS A GREAT HONOR FOR ME TO PRESENT, DR. DAVID SCRASE, THE CABINET SECRETARY FOR NEW MEXICO'S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND ONE OF THE MAIN ENGINEERS FOR OUR SUCCESSFUL ODYSSEY THROUGH THE WAVES OF THE PANDEMIC, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>DAVID: THANK YOU, LORENE, IT IS GOOD TO BE HERE.

IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF NEW MEXICO, I AM IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT SETTING THAN PEOPLE MAY BE USED TO.

ACTUALLY, TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY THAT, IN PERSON, I AM ALSO THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SO I HAVE TWO HATS ON.

NOW I AM COMING TO YOU FROM OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BUILDING IN SANTA FE.

>>LORENE: I NOTICED THE THEMATIC, THE NEW MEXICO FLAG IS ALWAYS WITH YOU AND SO THAT IS VERY GOOD.

>>DAVID: I MOVED IT OVER BEHIND ME BECAUSE I KNEW I NEEDED IT THERE.

>>LORENE: YEAH, OKAY, WELL IT LOOKS GOOD.

SO, THINGS ARE CHANGING SO VERY MUCH IN TERMS OF THE PANDEMIC AND NEW ISSUES, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WANT TO START WITH THE VERY BASICS.

I AM GOING TO COUNTRY GIRL THIS, OKAY.

COULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO TELL ME THE PERCENTAGE OF NEW MEXICANS THAT ARE VACCINATED AND THE PERCENT OF DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS OF UNVACCINATED PERSONS?

>>DAVID: YEAH, YOU KNOW WE DID PRESENT SOME INFORMATION LAST WEEK.

RIGHT NOW, 64.1 PERCENT OF NEW MEXICANS ARE FULLY VACCINATED AND 72.1 PERCENT OF NEW MEXICANS, AGAIN THESE ARE PEOPLE 18 AND OLDER, HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE SHOT, SO THAT PART IS GOING WELL.

THE DATA I HAVE TODAY IS FROM FEBRUARY 1, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING PEOPLE VACCINATED AND WE ARE BREAKING IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT FROM FEBRUARY 1 AND THESE ARE APPROXIMATE NUMBERS, SO I DON'T HAVE THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT ABOUT 96 PERCENT OF ALL COVID CASES HAVE BEEN IN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED, 95 PERCENT OF HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE COVID BUT HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY VACCINATED AND THEN 98 PERCENT OF DEATHS FROM COVID ARE IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY VACCINATED.

AND PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, WHY ISN'T IT JUST 100 PERCENT," BECAUSE THE VACCINE IS NOT 100 PERCENT EFFECTIVE, NO ONE EVER SAID IT WOULD BE.

YOU KNOW WE HEARD NUMBERS LIKE 95 AND 90 AND SO WHEN A VACCINE IS 90 PERCENT EFFECTIVE THAT MEANS THAT IT KEEPS 90 PERCENT OF PEOPLE FROM GETTING THE VIRUS AGAIN, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT IT DOES NOT KEEP 10 PERCENT OF PEOPLE FROM GETTING THE VIRUS AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE WILL DEPEND ON EXPOSURE AND WHETHER PEOPLE WEAR MASKS AND THE CARE FOR THEIR BEING.

>>LORENE: SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO FIGURE OUT THAT IT IS ONLY TWO OR THREE OR FOUR PERCENT THAT ARE UNVACCINATED PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT DYING OR BEING IN THE HOSPITAL.

SO, WHAT IS IT, WHY ARE NOT PEOPLE GRASPING THAT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID DYING OR BEING IN THE HOSPITAL YOU SHOULD GET THE VACCINE, IT IS MATH.

>>DAVID: YEAH, IT IS MATH, NOT EVERYONE USES MATH.

AND YOU KNOW, IT IS A CHOICE WE MAKE ABOUT WHETHER TO USE MATH AND WHETHER TO APPLY IT TO OUR OWN LIVES.

ONE THING THAT STRUCK ME AS REALLY INTERESTING IS THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW I GOT THE VACCINE IMMEDIATELY, ONE BECAUSE I'M A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER SO I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING VACCINATED FIRST BECAUSE I STILL SEE PATIENTS, WHICH WAS A GREAT HONOR ACTUALLY FOR ME TO GET THE VACCINE, BUT I ALSO GOT IT TO SAVE MY LIFE, TO SAVE THE LIFE OF MY FAMILY, TO SAVE THE LIFE OF MY PATIENTS.

SO THAT WAS A HUGE MOTIVATING FACTOR AND I THINK IF HAD I NOT BEEN A PHYSICIAN, I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT TO SAVE MY LIFE AND TO SAVE THE LIFE OF MY FAMILY ANYWAY.

BUT THEN THERE WERE PEOPLE FOR WHOM THOSE THINGS WEREN'T AS IMPORTANT BUT OTHER INCENTIVES LIKE $100 OR A LOTTERY ARE AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE WORLD AND I THINK IT IS PART OF OUR JOB AT THE STATE TO USE NUMBERS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO USE NUMBERS AND TO USE PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIKE THOSE.

TO SEND PEOPLE TO THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE FRANKLY THERE IS REALLY GOOD DATA THAT PEOPLE WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE ADVICE FROM ME AS THEIR DOCTOR THAN THEY WOULD FROM ME AS A PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL AND I AM OKAY WITH THAT, LIKE THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE REALLY.

ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT IS IT IS BECOMING CREDIBLE TO ME THE LEVEL OF MISINFORMATION THAT IS OUT THERE AND I THINK THE MEDIA HAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE TO STEP UP AROUND THIS MISINFORMATION.

IT IS COMING FROM A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF SOURCES, THEY ARE QUOTING MANUFACTURED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES THAT AREN'T REALLY ACCURATE, THEY ARE FEAR BASED OFTEN AND SO THERE IS SO MUCH VACCINE MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND I WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, YOU KNOW LIKE I'M DOING A GOOD JOB, I DID MY RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET THAT VACCINE BECAUSE I WILL MISS A MONTH OF WORK IF I DO.

AND YOU KNOW THAT IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN CONTROL WHAT EVERY HUMAN BEING PUTS ON THE INTERNET, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT MISINFORMATION.

WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT GOOD INFORMATION AND THAT IS KIND OF WHERE I THINK PEOPLE'S HEALTHCARE PROVIDER REALLY FITS IN HERE.

LIKE IF I DON'T HAPPEN TO HAVE LIKE A STRONG POLITICAL ANGLE ON THIS WHOLE THING, I AM JUST A SCIENTIST, YOU KNOW THE VIRUS HAS NO POLITICS, IT IS NOT A REGISTERED TO EITHER PARTY AND SO FOR ME IT IS JUST KIND OF INTERESTING OR CONFUSING OR TERRIFYING SOMETIMES THAT THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ABOUT A MASK COULD BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE OR HOW EFFECTIVE THE VACCINE IS, COULD BE.

SO THIS GOOD INFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION IS REALLY WHAT I THINK WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW.

>>LORENE: SO I WANT TO MENTION THOSE OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAVE WATCHED A YEAR AND A HALF WORTH OF PRESS CONFERENCES WITH THE GOVERNOR AND WITH DR. SCRASE, IN TERMS OF PRESENTING GOOD INFORMATION AND THEN IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE FORM, YOU ARE A WIZARD WITH GRAPHS AND CHARTS.

I LOVE, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION YOU PRESENT PEOPLE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND IT, PEOPLE CAN REALLY INTEGRATE IT AND I DO WANT TO GO TO THE WHOLE IDEA OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION BECAUSE OF OUR VISIT WITH THE SURGEON GENERAL.

BUT I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SECOND RUNG OF MY VERY BASIC THING, MY FIRST THING WAS LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES OF WHO IS DYING AND HOSPITALIZED, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED, THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY TO ME QUITE CONVINCING.

THE OTHER ELEMENT, PLEASE EXPLAIN TO OUR PEOPLE HOW, WHY HAVING A VACCINATED MASS, THE HERD, PREVENTS VARIANTS, HOW DO WE GET VARIANTS, WHAT IS THE DELTA VARIANT DOING TO US, WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF CASES NOW IN THE COUNTRY AND HERE THIS RAPIDLY TRANSMISSIBLE, VERY SERIOUS DELTA VARIANT?

>>DAVID: YUP, GREAT QUESTIONS, THEY ARE ALL GREAT QUESTIONS.

AND SO WE HAVE HAD VARIANTS OF THE VIRUS SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING, THE FIRST VERSION OF COVID WAS THE FIRST VARIANT.

WE TRACKED, OH PROBABLY OVER 70 DIFFERENT VARIANTS COMING THROUGH NEW MEXICO SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.

THE VIRUS CHANGES OVER TIME, IT CAN MUTATE, THE MORE DIFFERENT HUMAN HOSTS IT CAN INHABIT, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE FOR CREATING NEW VARIANTS AND IN STATES WITH VACCINATIONS RATES OF 30 PERCENT THEY ARE BREEDING GROUNDS FOR VARIANTS.

I MEAN THE VIRUS USED TO BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LET'S JUST SAY FOR EVERY 10 PEOPLE, THE VIRUS IN ONE PERSON COULD INFECT, NOW IT IS DOWN TO SEVEN IN NEW MEXICO, FOR EVERY 10 PEOPLE IT IS PROBABLY DOWN TO THREE.

BUT AS THE VIRUS SPREADS IN AN UNVACCINATED POPULATION IT MUTATES MORE.

REGARDING THE DELTA VARIANT, IT ROSE IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT OF ASIA.

UNLIKE THE B117 VARIANT, THE ALPHA VARIANT THAT CAME OUT OF ENGLAND, THAT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING VARIANT BECAUSE IT WENT FROM ZERO PERCENT OF CASES TO 70 PERCENT OF CASES IN ENGLAND IN ROUGHLY A TWO AND ONE HALF MONTH PERIOD OF TIME.

BUT ENGLAND HAS UNBELIEVABLY GOOD EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA TRACKING, SO WE ACTUALLY KNEW IN DECEMBER AND THERE ARE FOUR THINGS YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY VARIANT.

ONE, DOES IT SPREAD MORE RAPIDLY, TWO, DOES IT CAUSE WORSE ILLNESS, SO HIGHER HOSPITALIZATION RATES OR DEATHS.

THREE, IS IT RESISTANT TO TREATMENT AND FOUR, IS IT RESISTANT TO THE VACCINE?

YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT ABOUT EVERY VARIANT.

SO WE ALREADY KNEW IN DECEMBER BEFORE WE HAD OUR FIRST CASE IN JANUARY OF THE ALPHA VARIANT THAT IT SPREAD ONE AND A HALF TO TWO TIMES MORE RAPIDLY THAN THE COVID WE WERE USED TO, THAT IT DID NOT HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH.

THAT IT WAS RESISTANT TO THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT WE WERE GIVING, SO WE ACTUALLY SWITCHED OUR TREATMENT BEFORE THE VIRUS GOT HERE, WE KNEW IT WOULD EVENTUALLY GET HERE THAT VERSION.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE WAS THERE WAS PRETTY GOOD DATA ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD TO STUDY VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST VARIANTS BECAUSE THE REASON THEY CALL THEM VARIANTS IS THAT THEY VERY, THEY CHANGE, THEY COME AND GO, SO IT IS HARD TO GET A VARIANT TO HOLD STILL TO TEST IT.

BUT ON THE 117 IT SEEMED LIKE PFIZER HAD SOME DATA THAT RETROSPECTIVELY, IN LONDON AND SOUTH AFRICA AND OTHER PLACES, THAT THAT VACCINE SEEMED TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER THE RATE OF GETTING THE ALPHA VARIANT.

NOW LET'S FAST FORWARD TO DELTA, THE ONE THAT WE ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT, THE ONE THAT IS OVER 50 PERCENT OF CASES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALLY IN NEW MEXICO LAST WEEK, IT WAS 22.3 PERCENT, BUT OUR DATA LAGS A LITTLE BIT, IT TAKES A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO RUN THE GENOMIC ANALYSIS AND REPORT OUT THE DATA.

SO, YOU KNOW MYSELF, MY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COLLEAGUES, MIKE EDWARDS WHO RUNS OUR LAB, WE THINK THAT IT IS AT LEAST 35 TO 50 PERCENT OF CASES IN NEW MEXICO NOW.

AND WE KNOW THAT IT SPREADS MORE RAPIDLY ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE HARD DATA, OKAY.

WE ARE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHETHER IT CAUSES MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS, YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE DATA FROM INDIA WHERE MASSIVE SPREAD THROUGH POPULATION THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OUR POPULATION, YOU KNOW NUTRITIONAL FACTORS, OTHER HEALTH RISKS THAT WE DON'T HAVE, AND SO WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT YET.

WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE ABOUT MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT RESISTANCE, BUT WE THINK WE ARE GOOD ON WHAT WE ARE GIVING NOW, THERE IS A LITTLE DATA ON THAT.

AND THE WORST PART IS WE REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE THE VACCINE IS.

WE KNOW THAT IN ONE PLACE IT SEEMED ABOUT 88, THE PFIZER, IT SEEMED ABOUT 88 PERCENT EFFECTIVE.

WE HAVE THE BEST DATA ON PFIZER, MODERNA SIMILARLY, AGAINST ALPHA, BUT THAT'S DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM 90 TO 95 PERCENT 88 IS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IS FULL VACCINATION, WITH ONE DOSE OF, I THINK IT IS PFIZER, IT IS ONLY 33 PERCENT EFFECTIVE.

SO I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE WHO GOT THEIR ONE DOSE, THEY FELT ILL AND FEVERISH, MISSED A DAY OF WORK, PLEASE GET YOUR SECOND DOSE, GET IT NOW.

>>LORENE: DEFINITELY.

AND ALSO THERE ARE MANY WHO, I KNOW THE JURY IS STILL OUT WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS YET, BUT PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED, WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW, BUT IF THERE IS A BOOSTER, THEY ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE WHO GOING TO BE LINED UP TO GET IT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES.

BUT WE ARE SPEAKING TODAY WITH DR. DAVID SCRASE THE CABINET SECRETARY FOR NOW TWO DEPARTMENTS, THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND I BROUGHT YOU HERE TO CELEBRATE YOUR PROGRESS AND YET THE VIRUS IS STILL CHANGING AND THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON.

LET US NOW SEGUE A LITTLE INTO ANOTHER KIND OF EPIDEMIC THAT YOU REFERRED TO AND THAT VIVEK MURTHY, THE SURGEON GENERAL, CAME AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE EPIDEMIC OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION AND, YOU KNOW, SO HOW CAN WE FIGHT THAT, IT IS REALLY HARD.

I HAVE BEEN THE FIGHTER FOR MEDIA LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING AND CHECK YOUR SOURCES, DON'T JUST PASS SOMETHING ON, THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO MAKE YOU ALL ALARMED AND TO SPREAD THE WORD, SAVE THE WORLD, AND A LOT OF IT JUST ISN'T TRUE.

SO WHEN HE WAS HERE, THE US SURGEON GENERAL, VIVEK MURTHY, GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF MISINFORMATION AND HOW CAN WE FIGHT THAT?

>>DAVID: YOU KNOW IT IS TRICKY.

IT IS VERY ORGANIZED, YOU KNOW, I WILL GO WITHOUT GETTING ANY ANGRY, MEAN EMAILS FOR A WEEK OR TWO AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ON THE SAME DAY, I GET 50.

AND THEY KIND OF HAVE VERY SIMILAR WORDING, SOME PARAGRAPHS ARE THE SAME, THEY PUT THINGS IN THEIR OWN WORDS, THEY CITE THE SAME EVIDENCE, I MEAN LOOK AT ALL THE EVIDENCE AND A LOT OF WHAT IS BEING SENT ISN'T RIGHT AND I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS JUST HUMAN NATURE TO GRAVITATE TO OPINIONS THAT AGREE WITH YOURS.

LIKE I DO THAT, LIKE I LIKE IT BETTER WHEN PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME THAN WHEN THEY DON'T, RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, AND THERE ARE GOOD STUDIES NOW ABOUT AMERICANS AND THEIR HABITS OF THE NEWS CHANNELS THEY WATCH AND WE TEND TO SELECT NEWS CHANNELS THAT REINFORCE OPINIONS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

YOU KNOW I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH MY DAUGHTER, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENING, IT WAS IN I THINK IN WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WE WERE AT THAT TIME, WE WERE GETTING TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE WEEKEND AWAY SOMEWHERE, WE WERE HAVING A DINNER OUTSIDE IN THE SUMMER, IT WAS JUST VERY CHARMING AND SHE SAID, "YOU KNOW, DAD, ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE BEST IN MY LIFE IS WHEN I FIND MY ASSUMPTIONS BEING QUESTIONED.

LIKE I SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T CONFORM TO MY ASSUMPTIONS, AND IT CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO REALLY RETHINK, WHAT DO I THINK, WHAT DO I BELIEVE IN?"

AND SO LIKE I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT MY DAUGHTER WILL BE PROBABLY, HOPEFULLY, A FUTURE WORLD LEADER, SHE CERTAINLY COULD BE.

ALTHOUGH I KNOW WE ALL THINK OUR DAUGHTERS CAN DO THAT BUT IT IS JUST NOT THAT COMMON OF A HUMAN TRAIT TO JUST WELCOME AND EMBRACE AND LOVE THAT IDEA OF GRAPPLING WITH AN OPINION THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN OURS AND SO I THINK THAT IS KIND OF AT THE ROOT OF IT.

AND THEN I THINK THERE ARE POLITICAL OVERTONES TO ALL OF THIS, WHICH IS KIND OF STRANGE TO ME, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT WHO I THOUGHT PRETTY EFFECTIVELY MOBILIZED THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY TO PRODUCE VACCINES IN VAST, VAST, VAST QUANTITIES AND GOT THE VACCINE HIMSELF AND SO I AM JUST MISSING SOMETHING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T TRUST SCIENCE EITHER AND WE HAVE DATA ON WHO TRUST SCIENCE AND WHO DOESN'T, IT CAN VARY BY AGE AND GENDER AND EDUCATION LEVEL AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS AND SO IT IS PART OF THAT MELTING POT THAT IS AMERICA, BUT IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR ME.

AND I CAN'T, YOU KNOW I AM AN AMERICAN, I DEEPLY VALUE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, WE HAVE THE MEDIA THAT HELPS US WITH THAT.

MEDIA IS A REALLY GOOD PARTNER WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING CHALLENGE OUR OWN ASSUMPTIONS AND GETTING FEEDBACK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE DO THAT YOU DON'T AGREE WITH AND WE WELCOME THAT GREATLY.

BUT IT JUST IS INTERESTING THAT I THINK YOU KNOW WE HAVE 32 PERCENT OF NEW MEXICANS WHO WILL SAY NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, "I WON'T GET VACCINATED."

AND WE HAVE 64 PERCENT WHO ARE VACCINATED, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT LEAVES, FOUR PERCENT OF NEW MEXICANS, WE HAVE FOUR PERCENT OF NEW MEXICANS, WHO ARE KIND OF OPEN, I GUESS, TO HEARING MORE, ARE STILL UNDECIDED.

YOU KNOW THAT IS A PRETTY NARROW AUDIENCE TO GET JUST THE RIGHT MESSAGE AND THAT IS KIND OF WHY WE ARE COUNTING ACTUALLY ON THEIR NURSE PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND DOCTORS AND OTHERS TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE THAT DECISION.

>>LORENE: SO I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE NEW PHASE OF THE NEW PROGRAM, TAKE CARE NEW MEXICO, BECAUSE I HEAR IN YOUR VOICE THE SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT REACHING THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT RESPONDING TO SCIENCE.

SO YOU HAVE A NEW CAMPAIGN, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME BUT TO GET THE PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET THEIR ROUTINE CARE AND WE NEED TO GO BACK AND GET ALL THEIR TESTING AND ALL THAT, BUT THE PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS CAN NOW EASILY PROVIDE VACCINES FOR ANYBODY AND ALSO EDUCATE THE INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS ABOUT IT.

AND THEN YOU MIGHT EVEN HAVE ANOTHER PHASE COMING IN THE FALL, YOU ARE VERY BUSY, DR. SCRASE.

>>DAVID: YEAH, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE ALL AGREE ON IS WHATEVER THE PAST METHODS FOR VACCINATING A MASSIVE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY, THAT THE FUTURE OF VACCINATIONS WILL GO THE WAY OF INFLUENZA AND MEASLES AND MUMPS AND RUBELLA AND SHINGLES AND PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINES, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT IT ULTIMATELY WILL BE IN THE PRIMARY CARE OFFICE.

I DO WANT TO TIP MY HAT, WHEN YOU SAID WHEN YOU SAID PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS CAN EASILY ADMINISTER THIS IN THEIR OFFICE, THIS IS A HARDER VACCINE, IT IS HARDER VACCINE, IT'S OKAY.

SO OUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS WILL BE DOING SOME EXTRA WORK FOR US, WE ARE WILLING TO GO OUT TO HELP THEM TO GET THEM STARTED, TO HOLD THEIR HAND, TO DO THAT THING YOU HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR REFRIGERATOR WHOLE WEEK BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN PUT THE VACCINE IN THERE.

BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SACRIFICE TO DO IT, BUT I THINK WE MET WITH A GROUP OF PROVIDERS LAST TUESDAY WHEN ADMIRAL MURTHY WAS HERE, OUR SURGEON GENERAL, YOU KNOW THEY WERE VERY EAGER TO GET STARTED.

THEY ALL HAD DIFFERENT SITUATIONS BUT I THINK THEY ARE BEING VERY CREATIVE TOO, SOME PARTNER WITH THE PHARMACISTS AROUND THE CORNER, SOME GET THEIR PRACTICES TOGETHER IN A GROUP AND PICK THE PLACE TO GIVE THE VACCINES AND SO IT IS GREAT TO SEE THAT CREATIVITY BUT ALSO GREAT TO SEE THE COMMITMENT THAT NEW MEXICO MEDICAL PROVIDERS HAVE TO THEIR PATIENTS.

I WAS VERY INSPIRED BY SEEING THAT COMMITMENT OF OUR PROVIDER NETWORK.

>>LORENE: AND PERHAPS, THE ONLY EASE, FORGIVE ME I MISSPOKE, IS THE COMFORT THAT A PATIENT HAS WITH HIS REGULAR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER AND THE ABILITY TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

WE ARE JUST ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

>>DAVID: CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING, I WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING.

>>LORENE: YES.

>>DAVID: THIS IS A GOOD ONE.

I DO LIKE TO DO AN IMITATION OF ME OFFERING A PATIENT A FLU VACCINE IN MY OFFICE, THIS IS HOW IT GOES AND I AM NOT MAKING IT SHORTER THAN IT NORMALLY IS.

USUALLY AT THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF THE VISIT, I WILL SAY, "OH, YOU'RE HERE TODAY, I SEE YOU HAVEN'T GOT YOUR FLU VACCINE, DO YOU WANT TO JUST GET IT NOW?"

AND THEY SAY, "YES."

THAT'S IT AND SO I AM HOPING WE GET THAT WITH COVID TOO, WHERE IT IS JUST THAT EASY, YOU'RE THERE, YOU CAN GET IT, IT IS EASY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SCHEDULE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PARK AND WALK AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF.

>>LORENE: GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, OKAY, IT IS ALMOST BACK TO SCHOOL AND I WOULD LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

THE OTHER THING IS WE ARE HEARING EVERY DAY MORE AND MORE ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS, CAN YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE ON EACH ONE, SCHOOLS, MASKS, VAX, AND THEN, WHAT IS A BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION AND HOW CAN WE NOT BREAK THROUGH?

>>DAVID: WE STILL DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL NATIONAL DEFINITION OF WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION IS, WHAT WE ARE USING RIGHT NOW IS ANYBODY WHO HAS BEEN VACCINATED WITH BOTH VACCINES OR THE FULL VACCINATION SERIES, PLUS TWO WEEKS, WHO THEN HAS A POSITIVE CULTURE FOR COVID.

SO WE MIGHT BE OVERESTIMATING BECAUSE IF SOMEONE HAD COVID BEFORE AND STILL HAS THE PARTICLES IN THEIR NOSE, THEY COULD BE POSITIVE.

ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE ARE SYMPTOMATIC, HALF AREN'T.

THE ONES WHO DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS SEEM TO HAVE LESS VIRUS IN THE NOSE TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE NOT EVEN SURE IF THEY ARE INFECTIOUS.

BUT AGAIN, IF A VACCINE IS 90 PERCENT EFFECTIVE AND 10 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO GET THE VACCINE WILL GET REINFECTED, SO THAT'S JUST PART OF THE DEAL AND 90 PERCENT IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR VACCINES.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, MY GOSH, PARENTS IF YOUR CHILD IS 12 OR OLDER, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GET THEM VACCINATED NOW.

AND YOU KNOW YOU WILL GET YOUR FIRST VACCINE NOW, THE SECOND ONE EARLY AUGUST, A COUPLE OF MORE WEEKS THEIR IMMUNITY WILL KICK UP, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE CASES IN KIDS, WE KNOW THAT KIDS TRANSMIT JUST LIKE IN ADULTS.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT MASKS REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING INFECTED WHETHER YOU ARE VACCINATED OR NOT, AND SO THAT IS WHY THE CDC IS RECOMMENDING MASKS FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL AND WE ARE GOING WITH THE CDC ON THAT.

MASKS REMAIN EFFECTIVE, WE HAVE 30 ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE, SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES, I THINK 28 OF THEM ARE PRETTY CONVINCING THAT THESE MASKS WORK AND THEY WORK WELL.

I STILL GET EMAILS WITH THE OTHER TWO, BUT WE PUT THEM ALL OUT THERE TO BE FAIR AND I AM QUITE CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT AND I STILL WEAR MY MASK FROM TIME TO TIME AND YOU KNOW THE MORE I HEAR ABOUT OUTBREAKS OF THE DELTA VARIANT AND FAMILIES SOME OF WHOM ARE VACCINATED HERE IN NEW MEXICO.

I WAS JUST THINKING TODAY MAYBE I NEED TO WEAR THIS MASK INTO MORE FACILITIES AND THINGS WHEN I AM OUT.

WE ARE NOT AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER STAGE OF THAT BUT WE ARE WATCHING.

AND THEN LASTLY, EVEN WITH THE VARIANT THERE IS SOME REASSURING GOOD NEWS.

YOU KNOW TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE OPENED UP WE HAD, WE WERE AVERAGING DOUBLE DIGIT CASES AND NOW AFTER TWO WEEKS, THAT IS GOING UP AND THEN 150S, 160S, 170S AND NOW IT HAS KIND OF COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT SO WE SEEM TO BE LEVELING OFF AT A LEVEL THAT IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN I WAS EXPECTING.

AND IF WE CAN JUST MAINTAIN THAT I THINK WE CAN HANDLE THE REOPENING, GET THAT LAST FOUR PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE VACCINATED, HELP THEM DECIDE TO DO THAT AND HOPEFULLY GET THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE REOPENING PROCESS.

>>LORENE: WELL YOU HAD SAID AT THE BEGINNING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS, THAT THE VIRUS IS A REALLY TOUGH OPPONENT, BUT YOU, DR. SCRASE, HAVE BEEN THE VERY TOUGH CHAMPION FOR NEW MEXICANS AND FOR OUR HEALTH AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY OUR GUEST TODAY IS DR. DAVID SCRASE, CABINET SECRETARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENLIGHTENING US FURTHER, THIS IS A CONSTANTLY CHANGING EVENT, BUT I REALLY AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME WITH US TODAY.

THANK YOU, DR. SCRASE.

>>DAVID: AND THANK YOU, LORENE, IT WAS GREAT TO BE HERE, TAKE CARE.

>>LORENE: AND I AM LORENE MILLS, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU OUR AUDIENCE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO, AN ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONALS WHO BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE, FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE