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>> health professionals and advocates testified on building vaccine confidence and vaccine hesitancy among some groups including immunities of color. from the house energy and commerce subcommittee this is 2 hours 40 minutes. >> the subcommittee on oversight will come to order. today we're holding a hearing about building vaccines. today's hearing is about strategies for increasing confidence and an uptick of vaccines. due to the health emergency as i noted, today's hearing is being held remotely. all witnesses, members and staff will be participating via videoconferencing and has as usual for our proceedings microphones will be set on mute for thepurposes of

eliminating inadvertent background noise . numbers and witnesses, don't forget you will need to unmute each time you wish to speak . if at any time i'm unable to continue as chair which has happened because of technology, the vice chair mister peters will serve as chair until i am able to return. documents for the record can be sent to austin black at the email address the staff has and all of the documents will be entered into the record at the conclusion of the hearing area the chair now recognizes herself for an opening statement. today we continue our oversight of the nations response efforts. throw out the pandemic, this subcommittee has conducted robust oversight over a range of issues including g vaccine development. and we now enter a new phase. today's hearing addresses one of the most consequential issues this subcommittee has ofaced.

the pressing need to increase vaccine confidence and uptake in the united states. and if not enough people get vaccinated, that is an investment that we make teto develop the vaccine and the extraordinary efforts that would be taken will never reach their full potential area unfortunately we are making significant progress. in five months, more than 150 million americans have received at least one vaccine. and over 85 percent lof years have received at least one dose . in the two weeks since the fda authorized pfizer tech for children ages 12 to 15, tmore than 2 million children in this age group received their first dose. thanks to the millions of americans who have chosen to get a safe and effective vaccine, we do have a shot at

returning to normal. so if you want to take off your mask, if you want to get together with friends and familysafely , if you want to go on vacation and join the millions of americans who done it and get vaccinated. here's the bad news though. we're not out of the woods yet. although it's easier to get the vaccine, millions of americans remain unvaccinated . immunization rates remain alarmingly low. in some states, less than 30 percent of the population has received even, less than 40 percent of the population has received even a single dose. and taking a mid april we've seen a decline in the number of daily doses administered across the country. this is worrying and frankly there's going to be a push to get the minded administrations 70 percent of american adults having at

least one shot bythe fourth of july . that's why this subcommittee is working tirelessly to support vaccination efforts nationwide including this hearing which explores why some people so far haven't gotten vaccinated sothat's the big question . why haven't some people gotten vaccinated? many unvaccinated americans have llsafety concerns or unanswered questions about how the vaccine works. compounding these problems is disinformation and outright lies on social media platforms. in many cases ciigniting viral hoaxes and fueling vaccine hesitancy. but low vaccine confidence isn't the only reason for the slow uptick. unvaccinated americans into committees of color still face challenges like the inability to take off of work

to get the vaccine. far too many americans, in particular young adults don't have the urgency for or motivation to get vaccinated. they don't understand while they are likely to have a mild case, they could get a serious case or even die and worse, infect others who are at risk. clearly this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. to get the right message delivered from the right source at the right time we will need a variety of strategies and incentives to overcome the range of reasons getting unvaccinated americanscc. i believe i want to thank every single one of them for being with us. i look forward to discussing at the end what is working and seeing what can be done so i want to say a few things

inconclusion. if you're worried about the vaccines , you should know millions of doses have been administered throughout the country and around the world . the data is in. the vaccines are safe. if you're unsure about the vaccines efficacy, you should know the consensus real-world data is available and it shows the vaccines are extremely effective. they prevent hospitalizations and illness and they save lives. and if you question the benefit of getting vaccinated, you should know that vaccinated americans can resume their pre-vaccinelives . and go around without wearing a mask without social distancing so you can get back to your cnormal life . i was at a press conference yesterday at the state legislature and everybody had the vaccine and nobody had a mask and it was wonderful. the only question is how can

we help unvaccinated americans get their shot. i know we can work together in a rbipartisan fashion to do just that that's why i'm so pleased again to have our witnesses and i also want to yield five minutes of the ranking number four opening statements. >>. >> .. appreciate that. i might take a brief moment of personal privilege and say all of us are morning the passing of the former senator john warner who served virginia ably and was a very nice man. that being said, i do appreciate you holding this hearing on the building code vaccine confidence and i also want to thank the witnesses for taking the time to

join us today doing great work to serve all the people of southwestern virginia. we've come a long way. today we have three today we have three state and effective vaccines with enough supply for every american age 12 and under who wants one. so far over 61% 61% of u.s. population have received atle least one dose while we are well on our way to returning to normalcy we still have to work to reach the high rates of vaccinations necessary to eliminate the virus significant threat to our public health. at the beginning of the national vaccination campaign demands exceeded supply. now thehe u.s. faces the vaccins supplies pitiful. the current unvaccinated population varies in its

demographics and concerns about the covid-19 vaccines. there are about 13% of individuals who say they will not receive the covid-19 vaccine, yet there's a slightly larger share of individuals 50% of waiting to see how the covid-19 vaccine is working on other people before they receive their shot. these individuals could be persuaded to get covid-19 vaccines by receiving answers to the questions and concerns here are the leading concerns that contribute to vaccine hesitancy are that covid-19 vaccines are not safe ashe they are not as se as are said to be at individuals who experienced side effects following vaccination. individuals are concerned about what is this information but infertility and of the possible long-term effects from getting the covid-19 vaccines. trusted messengers need to make these americans where they are, by listening to their concerns, asking permission to share accurate information to help them reach the right decision for each individual while

reinforcing their safety, dignity, choice and autonomy. my home district is a region of the rural communities. the centers for disease control and prevention released a study last week that people in rural areas receiving the covid-19 vaccines at a lower rate than those in urban areas. my district is doing fairly well but this study demonstrates the need to identify the barriers in many rural communities and to find solutions to remove them. additionally i've heard for my district on reasons why there are lower rates of vaccination. two common factors contributing to thehe lower rates are a lackf information on the technology of the covid-19 vaccines as well as a lack of access to receive the vaccine. the good part about these barriers is they can beut remov. we can provide accuratede information on the decades of development for the mrna technology into in the vaccines and there their widow cute requirements, just cuts in red tape. we find innovative ways -- we

can find innovative ways to bring vaccines to people through mobile vaccination clinics, public health practitioners to continue collaborating with healthcare providers, , e pharmacies, employers, faith leaders and other community partners identify and address barriers to covid-19 vaccination in rural areas and other communities. another key group of individuals who benefit from receiving the vaccine are children. yes covid-19 usually milderr in children as compared to adults but some children can get very sick and suffer complications from covid-19. it is crucial to target messaging and provide accurate information and resources to this population so parents can make the best decisions for their children. according to the cdc more than half 1 million children betweenp ages 12-15 received a fisa vaccine just one week after it was approved for this age group. this is a great accomplishment and help we can continue to work with advocacy groups to provide parents with the necessary information to makere this decision so they're confident in getting their children

vaccinated. i look forward to ring from our witnesses today on what messages and strategies work best to remove barriers to a much higher level of covid-19 vaccination throughout the united states so that we can all return to normalcy. thank you, madam chair, and i yield back. gentleman yields back. chair to recognize the chair of the full committee mr. pallone for an openingng statement for five minutes. >> thank you, chairwoman degette. d thanks for this continued effort of the oversight and investigations subcommittee to do critical oversight of the covid-19 vaccination campaign. through the collective efforts of the american peoplee over the past year we've overcome initial challenges of developing, producing and distributing safe and effective vaccine but now we face a difficult task of reaching those americans who has yet to embrace this life-saving

tool. vaccine doubts and fears are not new challenges. in fact, this committee has a history of addressing these issues in a bipartisan manner. in 2019, for instance, we held a hearing on the measles outbreaks and renewed our efforts to provide resources to support vaccine confidence and uptake throughout the nation. we followed that with bipartisan legislation led by representative schrier, finally passed late last year. that bill authorized campaign to educate and inform americans on the benefitsil of vaccines earlr and expand upon those activities which invested $160 billion in covid-19 response efforts, that included $20 billion and dedicated resources for vaccine distribution, clinics, mobile units and an awareness campaign. so while these issues of awareness and covers are not new, the gravity of the challenges facing us today is unprecedented because of the pandemic. these are stricken ill, more

than half 1 million lives tragically lost and the enormous toll on the mental and financial well-being of americans. in face of all this we have risen to the occasion. we work together at the federal, state and local level through public and private partnerships and across lyrical lines to develop several safe and effective vaccines and we have solved supply issue for continue our work to enter equitable distribution. the result of this collective effort if you are 12 years old or older what a cold vaccine there is one waiting for you now. i just wanted to mention not only decisive action by congress and the biden administration's leadership, now we have more than 160 million americans who have received at least one dose of vaccine and more than 130 million of those are fully vaccinated. the number of new daily cases and deaths have fallen significantly since the start of the year. this is obviously close forra celebration but we can't stop into more americans are

protected from covid-19, and that's what we're going about today, what are the next steps. what we know so far is there's no single factor causing eligible unvaccinated americans to sit on the sidelines. some people are skeptical of the fact that state your long-term effects. some of the misled by bogus and misleading information, still others have distrust of the medical system or the government's role in developing vaccines, and many americans particularly in rural communities and in communities of color are open or even eager to get vaccinated yet continue to face barriers to access. there is not one reason why some americans remain unvaccinated anderson's single solution, by the encouraging news is that our efforts have been successful so far. poll after poll shows increasing confidence in the covid-19 vaccines, and that progress though did start to plateau relatively recently. that's why we have to redouble our efforts to understand who can be reached and how best to reach them.

we have two do a lot of hard work to go out and meet people where they are. as we enter this vaccine campaign, new aspects of it, i'm pleased to be working alongside our republican colleagues to encourage americans to roll up their sleeves. if we really want to go back to normalcy we need every eligible american to make the right choice and get a shot to protect themselves, their community and the nation. so again i just looking forwardy to the witnesses. i want to say to everyone, i may already know that the chairwoman degette has been outspoken in. continuing the oversight of the vaccine campaign, and today is a manifestation of that and i appreciate your advertising this in your subcommittee. it is very important and thank ms. morgan as well. i give expert that chair as now please recognize the ranking member of the full committee, ms. mcmorris rodgers, for five

minutes for an opening statement. chair the administration operation warp speed and the work of the biden administration. width of the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves, their children and their families that is the american way to lead with trust, not fear so i want to thank the distinguished panel for being here to share their expertise and answer questions people may have about the vaccine. to encourage people to talk to

their doctors about the safety of covid-19 vaccines. i would like to thank the ranking member for yielding me time and for the chair and ranking member for holding this hearing on such an important topic. safe and effective vaccines are critical tools as the nation seeks to eradicate the pandemic and restore the normal way of life as americans. thanks to the success of operation warp speed under president trump's leadership multiple vaccines were developed and produced in record time. as a physician i believe that every american who wants a vaccine should be able to get one and this choice must be between an individual, their doctor and pharmacist along with other doctors in congress i have encouraged every american to talk to their healthcare providers and pharmacists, discuss the vaccine.

i chose to get it as soon it was available to me. doctors, nurses, pharmacists recommended that the vaccine is received by their patients and over 90% of doctors in the u.s. have already chosen to be vaccinated. there are many reasons that some people even those that want to be vaccinated still have not been. this is a concern to all of us this includes those that do not have the time, those that do not have the ability to sign up to get a vaccine and those that are concerned about taking time off from work especially if they have side effects. those that still have questions about the concern of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, these are all individuals have yet to be vaccinated. we've also heard about access challenges including those that

live in rural areas of the country. for instance, people that don't have internet, computer or a smart phone and don't know how to sign up without those resources. we've also heard instances of people that live far away from the closest place. these are some of the hurdles that needed to be overcome to so those that live in the rural areas are not impacted in their ability to get a covid-19 vaccine simply because of where they live. widespread vaccination is the key to restore our freedom and getting our communities back to normal. i look forward to working with the members in achieving these goals. thank you and i yield back, madam chair. >> does the gentlelady yield back as well? >> yes madam chair i will yield

back the remainder of my time. >> the chair would ask unanimous consent of all members and thise oversight subcommittee of energy and commerce and i just want to say anybody watching this should recognize that in a strong bipartisan way, the leadership of this committee, which has oversight over healthcare policies in the u.s. congress is bipartisan in their strong urging of all americans to get the vaccine. and i want to thank my colleagues for their strong commitment and doctor joyce and all the other doctors on the committee for being so

outspoken. with that, i want to introduce the witnesses. first is nick offerman, actor and woodworker and i would like to say welcome. i am a big fan and i know other members of the committee are as well. the director of the institute at yale university and doctor j garcia executive vice president and chief operating officer of the test for americans health. the executive director of vaccinated your family, and now i am going to recognize mr. griffin to introduce the last witness. >> thank you, madam chair. >> i appreciate it. it's my time to recognize karen shelton of virginia who received her bachelor's from wake forest and medicine from virginia. she practiced for 19 years in

ob/gyn. today she serves the virginia department as a health district acting director we are glad to have you here today and proud of the work you're doing for southwestern virginia. thank you. >> i think the gentleman. to the witnesses, i know you are all aware of the committee is holding an investigative hearing and when we do so, we have the practice of taking testimony under oath. does any witness have an objective to testify under oath today? >> let the record reflect the witnesses have responded no. the chair will advise you under the rules of the house and under the rules of the committee you are entitled to be accompanied by counsel. does any witness request to be accompanied by counsel today? let the record reflect the witnesses have responded no. and if you would then

[inaudible] do you swear the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? let the record reflect the witnesses responded affirmatively and you are now under oath with the penalties set forth in the u.s. code. the chair will now recognize the witnesses for five minutes summaries of their opening statements. as you can see there is a timer on the screen that counts down your time and it turns red when you're five minutes has come to an end. now i would like to start with the first witness. you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you. chairwoman, ranking member griffith and members of the subcommittee thank you so much for the opportunity to discuss this issue of the vaccines. as an actor, author and

woodworker, i will not be offering medical advice today. i will leave that to the scientists and medical experts on the panel also known as the smart people. instead, i would like to lead with my ignorance in these matters to represent the rest of the citizens that are not epidemiologists and doctors but feed on the grounds of those whose lives and livelihoods have taken [inaudible] ignorance is an area that i can claim some authority, and it's from that that i would like to communicate that i'm not only an actor and author and woodworker, but also a small business owner and a proud midwesterner. from those personal perspectives i'd like to communicate why it's so important we get vaccinated. i understand that some americans with experiences and backgrounds similar to my own are hesitant to get the vaccine, so i want to jump on this opportunity to get

a positive message out to them. there's nothing more positive than the vaccine itself. i even hear people refer to it as a miracle. this makes sense given the magnitude of death and destruction the virus has caused and the speed with which the vaccine prevents the death and destruction once it is administered. but i don't think a miracle is accurate. that's something inexplicable that appears from nowhere, sent by unseen forces. the vaccine is not a miracle. the vaccine is a gift, from the world's greatest scientists and thinkers and activists. it's the product of human ingenuity, the absolute pinnacle of achievement created by a bunch of geniuses that have saved us from endless death and destruction by solving a complex problem of microbiology at record time.

now, as we have heard unfortunately the expedience with which the vaccine has arrived there is also a source of confusion causing people to fear that it was rushed. you are right it was rushed. it's a pandemic. but you can rest assured the hustle wasn't applied to the safety of the vaccine. the science didn't arrive overnight. the science is based on 40 years of work. the hustle applies to getting the science to you and me by bypassing the usual bureaucratic hurdles and red tape. when the pandemic hit, all of my acting work was canceled, but after a few months, we were able to start up again carefully shooting tv and film and the reason for this is because on each show, about 200 crew members looked each other in the eye and we all agreed to behave like we loved each other. we agreed to trust the world's smartest doctors and follow

every strict protocol so that we could go back to making our livings and taking care of our families. three different shows i completed because we listened to the doctors and we thought about each other. i also run a small custom furniture outfit in los angeles called offerman woodshop that was crippled by the pandemic. the vaccine is going to save our business. we at offerman woodshop also help run a nonprofit called woodworks, that trains individuals experiencing homelessness to via woodworkers. because of the vulnerability of the un- housed population we serve, that program has been officially closed since march of 2020, losing a year of revenue and leaving many out in the cold. but now, due to the ubiquity of the vaccines in the la county, we are poised to relaunch all of the programs this summer. finally, i am close with my

family of 38 people in the village of illinois. unfortunately, because of this information from social media platforms with no oversight, a few of them have refused masks from the get-go and now refuse the vaccine. we also have a couple of immunocompromised nephews which means we have to avoid the anti-vaccinated whom we love for the safety of the rest of the family. it breaks my heart, and we cannot wait until we can all be reunited. on january 5th of this year, los angeles county had 8,098 people hospitalized for covid-19. a few days ago, that number was 319. that is more than 96% lower in just four and a half months. that is the gift of this vaccine. i urge anyone that hasn't been vaccinated to catch my enthusiasm and here the smart people that are up to speak.

medicine doesn't care who you voted for. amazing humans have created a vaccine that serves the common good. the vaccine doesn't take sides, unless you count alive versus dead. i am so sincerely grateful to the committee for hearing me today. thank you very kindly. >> thank you so much. i don't think any of us could have said it better. but now it's time for those smart people to talk. i'm going to first recognize doctor elmer for five minutes. >> i am the director of the institute for public health and it is my privilege to be here. thank you. [inaudible] there is no shortage of diagnosis for the barriers to increasing this even further. however, 20 years of research on vaccine acceptance and data show that the reality is a bit nuanced and a lot of these

things were covered by the various members that spoke before me. here are a few observations based on this research. first of all, we must recognize vaccine acceptance behavior is a spectrum. on the one hand, individuals that actively demand vaccines and on the other hand, people who would refuse vaccines in all situations even if you put [inaudible] some people would refuse it. in this pandemic, the act of the vaccine seekers created the impression that as soon the supply was resolved, there would be persistent rates and herd immunity reached. however, for several weeks there's more vaccine available in the u.s. than there are seekers. fortunately we must recognize it is a small group estimated to be

approximately ten to 13%. this is larger than the other vaccines but nevertheless it is and 20, 30, 40% of the population. there is a larger group of so-called [inaudible] that have questions about the vaccine but can be persuaded with the right interventions and then there are those that do not have a bout of concern about immunization but are not enthusiastic about it either. they don't wake up every morning and think about vaccines like some of us whose job it is to think about vaccines when we wake up every morning. but there are still those susceptible. given the rate of enthusiasm, the interplay between the vaccine and those that actively demand the vaccines go the extra mile and sometimes traveling long distances to be vaccinated,

however, now that most of the vaccine enthusiasts have been immunized, issues like how easy it is to get an appointment has become a reason for non-vaccination. so, we know from the data that the groups have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic. african-americans had a great twice that of white americans. and many to bring that to communities including programs that work with religious leaders playing the role in addressing the barriers for getting vaccinated. these programs need to be sustained and scaled up and getting the communities engaged would be easier with a scalable template and that approach includes with an expert for example a position with roots in the same community and replicating this model across the country.

another group the data has identified our conservative men who have emerged and another against covid-19 trying to persuade through the messages that don't speak to the values to be counterproductive. we have the research on those that exercise liberty and there are ways to do this. overall they have traditionally the bipartisan support and show that it's important increasing confidence in the vaccines as well. one of the things i would highlight irrespective of the reasons for the non-vaccination, they are the most trusted source of information even among those that are highly hesitant. it is a consistent predictor and so how do we enable them to do so and one idea is to have a national education program that

trains them on these evidence-based communication methods that have been developed and evaluated over the last five or ten years generally among the vaccines and scale it up at the level. programs and others are welcome to do so as well. it is best to persuade with an effective vaccine discussion [inaudible] if the vaccination doesn't happen there is no reimbursement. we cannot predict the future. it would be useful to make this. i will stop and i would be happy to answer questions. >> thank you so much. i am pleased to recognize the next for five minutes. >> thank you. good morning. i am the executive vice president and chief operating officer at the trust for

america's health. we are a nonprofit and nonpartisan public health policy research and advocacy organization which has focused attention on the importance of a strong and effective public health system as well as making the policymaking at all levels. i'm honored and pleased to be before you today to discuss the issue of the vaccine confidence during this critically important time in the nation. by way of background i previously served as the deputy assistant secretary and the director of the office of minority health at the department of health and human services. the pandemic is an unprecedented and devastating pandemic in the u.s. and the world and while we've certainly seen disparities in the emergencies in the past, the covid-19 pandemic has greatly exposed the nations [inaudible] prior to the pandemic the communities of color are already faced and equitable opportunities for health and

well-being and for the education and access for communities both at higher risk from covid-19 and greater barriers to the vaccination. in those in tribal nations and of color. as an outcome, we published a briefing in december with recommendations of the policy actions. the recommendations addressed these areas. first ensuring the scientific fidelity of the vaccine development process. second, meaningfully engaging in finding resources to trust the community organizations and networks in the vaccination efforts. third, providing communities the information they need to understand the vaccine, make informed decisions and deliver messages and the trusted messengers and pathways. fourth, and ensuring that it is

as easy as possible for people to be vaccinated. and vaccines must be delivered to communities and accessible. fifth, ensuring the complete coverage of the cost associated with the vaccine. many are important in earning vaccine trust in the communities in the future. while the focus of the hearing is on the vaccine confidence, the data also shows that access remains an issue for many populations. a recent family foundation survey highlighted that latinos are eager to get the vaccine but continue to face barriers and access. in another example, the sites may be inaccessible for people that are homebound including many older adults and people with disabilities. they released a briefing in march on ensuring that the

population and their caregivers are prioritized for vaccinations. the report highlighted the programs such as one in the home state of colorado leveraging the community partnership and services that engage with the population can provide important lessons for building community resilience before the next emergency. some of the cove covid-19 vaccines provided in the last congress and the rescue plan act have been targeted for the increase vaccine confidence and communities of color in rural and underserved communities. last week the white house announced after months of the smaller share of the vaccination, 51% of those vaccinated in the u.s. were people of color in the prior weeks. we urge congress and policy

makers to carry these lessons for the funding and preparedness programs to ensure equity is essential to the responses. in closing, we urge congress to build upon the lessons of the pandemic. we must modernize public health infrastructure and workforce. we must invest in community organizations that work with underserved populations and maintain these partnerships long after the pandemic. i would provide long-term investments both in the systems that develop and deliver the vaccines and those that build bridges to the communities that are the most affected. now certainly is the time. thank you. >> thank you so much, doctor. now i am very pleased to recognize you for five minutes for your opening statement. >> thank you, chairwoman degette and ranking member and members of the subcommittee. the congresswoman that has hosted many briefings over the years on the vaccines and this information, my name again is

amy and i've had the pleasure to serve as the executive director of vaccinated your family for the past 25 years. we were founded by the former first lady rosalynn carter and of arkansas who was the wife of senator [inaudible] that was 30 years ago this summer. and we found in the organization on the heels of the massive measles outbreak that took the lives of many children and hospitalized over 10,000 people. our founders travel to every state in the nation building statewide immunization coalitions which continue to thrive, and one thing was clear to them back then and remains true today, vaccinations need federal support and guidance for certain but they are best implement it at the local level where the community members can work together for the greatest impact on their neighbors. i want to take this moment to thank the members of congress and both administrations for the work that you've done to protect public health and protect us to keep us from economic ruin while

we awaited those lifesaving vaccines that we generously spoke about. as you know everyone is now eligible at 12 years and older and families are tasked with a monumental decision on where to go to access those vaccines which isn't always a simple procedure. i know that having access to this information is essential to instill confidence and that is what we will be talking about a lot today. i experienced hesitancy pregnant with my child years ago. in the year 2000 after a few years in my role as the director of the i attended the reform hearings. andrew wake field that has been stripped of his license was given the opportunity to share his retracted study that proclaimed the vaccines caused autism and that became a spotlight of the nation. as a person that was learning

the vaccine bill, i became susceptible and bewildered by the data that he was presenting to the committee. fortunately i was able to reach out to the board members including doctor walter orenstein who are now vaccine experts. and they answered each of my questions with patients and passion and helped me by the time my child's vaccines were due. my confidence was built on information by experts i trusted and i became even more committed to ensure that our organization built social media efforts that bring the science to the public so that they can make informed decisions on the vaccines for their own families. it is transparency and respect. since the beginning of the pandemic our organization focused not only on encouraging people to accept eventual vaccines, but to learn about the safety systems to ensure the

safety of the vaccines. we call for the companies developing to hit all of the usual milestones in the development keeping in mind some steps could be conducted simultaneously and that would speed up the process without compromising the safety or efficacy as discussed this morning. we also called on the fda to adhere to the normal review process to ensure each would be vetted in the public eye as it would be for any other product and to build trust in the routine vaccines, we are collaborating with who we think the trusted stakeholders are in their communities and one of which is the women's immunization network and we are doing so with the national council of women to reach the 12 million members with vaccine resources for their families, friends and neighbors. we've begun working to not just translate but to create culturally relevant resources that engage and motivate spanish-speaking people and we continue to work with coalitions to develop new programs the

vaccination rate in both rural and conservative areas with new partners such as agricultural extension workers and evangelical leaders. so you can help us on the path to good confidence by supporting great public health policies. first let's improve access. plain and simple, poor children and those in rural areas are less likely to receive the vaccine and among adults we spent 27 billion preventing the vaccine preventable diseases that could have been prevented through vaccines. officials need good to timely data to evaluate their effort and you can help by supporting four bills, many of which are sponsored by the committee members. the strengthening vaccine for children act, the helping adults protect immunity act that helps eliminate cost-sharing for the medicaid beneficiaries and the immunization infrastructure modernization act. finally it's important to

remember people need other lifesaving vaccines and i urge the public to visit, learn about the don't skip vaccines and the collaborations and for educational materials on all of the diseases and for congress we have a special report called the state of the union which is on the website. thank you for the opportunity and i look forward to answering questions. >> i urge the members to read the report because it is an excellent snapshot of where we are. now we are pleased to recognize you for five minutes for an opening statement, doctor. >> good morning members of the committee. since 2016 i've been the director of the district of the

virginia department of health and also acting director. i am honored to be with you to discuss the importance of the vaccines and education as well as the role that local health departments like mine play in improving vaccines, access and acceptance. we are proud of our work in the region in virginia and mr. griffin's district. i serve the area with 16 localities and it takes me about four hours to drive across the jurisdiction with many communities that lack access to broadband internet. in the heart of appalachia, practicing public health in virginia might look different from public health and other parts of the country but what all local health departments have in common is the shared goal of protecting and promoting the health of the community. the response to the pandemic has been the epitome of what the public health does for the community. we know the community as well including the barriers to care, distinct local culture, the

living situations that might pose challenges as well as the community level partners and organizations that must be included to be successful. we live in our community and serve our neighbors. in the fall of 2020 prior to the authorization of the vaccines the region experienced a surge of hospitalizations and deaths. our area experiences disproportionately poor health outcomes due to chronic disease and elderly populations and limited healthcare access. in the winter, this strict caseload spiked [inaudible] contact tracing we advised schools to go virtual and local hospital capacity teetered on the brink of being overrun. at the peak of the burden, the vaccine became available and the ability to vaccinate that healthcare workers and first responders followed by the most vulnerable elderly population brought inexpressible joy. when the vaccine began to roll out in late december, 2020, we had the advantage of a long

history of partnerships providing vaccines in the community and being served with large staff allowed us to begin giving the vaccines rapidly. with the partnerships we led the percentages of the population vaccinate from the onset of the campaign through march. we vaccinated a high number of workers and teachers that were teaching in person since the fall. we watched as the case rate fell and healthcare capacity was restored. we realized early on that the vaccine rollout heavily favored the tech savvy, those with internet, cell service, smart phones and computers and the supply increase we transitioned to the local units in may to reach the areas of the community that were more remote and had less broadband access. we were working with county administrators and coordinators and local businesses to increase the vaccine uptake. we were scheduling outreach at the farmers markets, festivals large and small, high traffic areas like convenience stores

and polices people were gathering, restaurants, breweries, wineries, hiking trails, food banks, giving tickets for the vaccine and stating messages with trusted local voices. currently vaccines given out of state do not show up in the accountcount and north carolina, tennessee, kentucky and west virginia, this makes it challenging to discern the true vaccine members. virginia is working to access the data and other challenges, the existing network is so poor we cannot reliably participate on zoom or google meet. we know that there is hesitancy in the communities, however, many labeled hesitant haven't had access to the vaccine or opportunity to have questions answered. we feel it is important not to label the population in order to avoid creating resistance. we know there are reasons people choose not to be vaccinated, medical, religious, political. our role is to provide education

and opportunities for the vaccinations by meeting people where they are in their own community and being champions for the vaccine. we are grateful to congress and the needs of public health responding to covid-19. this responsive benefit from the single-dose vaccine packaging, streamline national data, coordinated messaging that seeks the many different populations and continues resources for the public health outreach. we know some of the most important components of the successful campaign are access, education, opportunity, and respect. we appreciate the support of the federal government to create access to the vaccine and we will continue to work with our communities for education and opportunity. we will continue to seek to learn from others successful vaccination strategies. thank you again for inviting me to testify today, and i look forward to your questions. >> thank you so much and thanks to all of the witnesses for their testimony. we have time for members to ask questions, and the chair will recognize herself for five

minutes. we know that covid-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the shot to return to normalcy. as the panel has been discussing today, the main issue is are americans choosing not to get vaccinated or do they simply not have the opportunity, and how can we help them? a doctor omar, you testified that there is a large group of, quote, those that have questions about the vaccine but can't be provided with the right interventions. can you very briefly tell us what some of those interventions the data shows might work are? >> so this is a group that which doesn't actively think about vaccines but can be persuaded [inaudible] -- >> can you tell some of the methods that can work? >> yes. so, one of the approaches is to provide basic information about the immunization process itself. so, that's number one. the second thing is bringing the

vaccine closest to them but also informing them that it is there. third, the community outreach -- sorry, can you hear me? >> yes. >> so, i will continue. then the community outreach efforts that are announced that are done with community health workers and individuals going door to door with existing programs as well that are coordinated by community-based organizations. and powering them with evidence-based messaging and also the ability to schedule. these are some of the approaches that can help with the supply and demand. >> thank you very much. doctor shelton, you talk about some of these unique needs of the rural individuals. i wonder if you can tell us some of the strategies that you think

work with rural americans. >> thank you. we have been working -- one of the greatest problems is access and going out to the populations where they haven't been able to take advantage or sign up online. we are going to the communities where they do not have the broadband access or the cell services [inaudible] we've been taking the mobile units out to try to reach them and we've benefited from education opportunities [inaudible] would be very helpful. again, taking opportunities [inaudible] >> okay. thank you. ms. pisani, you've been working on these issues for years, as you said. and one of the greatest vaccine

hesitancy's is obviously with children which you've been working on. my home state of colorado has one of the largest groups of these parents. very briefly, what would you say to the parents of a child who is eligible for a shot who isn't sure about the benefits? >> congresswoman, were you calling on me? i broke up for a second. >> yes, i was calling on you. what would you say to the parent of a child that is reluctant to get a vaccine for the child, with the benefit would be? >> i think that is a big decision families need to make. everyone should be asking, and that is something the vaccinate your family feels strongly. we want to be a no judgment zone. so really what you need to think about our first of all, we know millions and millions have been vaccinated safely. but also, really thinking about what are the risk-benefit ratios. i don't think some parents are

recognizing that even though we haven't had a huge number of children who've died from covid, we know that they can have inflammatory disorders. we don't know what the long-term consequences will be of covid. we know people that got polio decades ago are back in their wheelchairs today. if you get a chicken box, you can get shingles later in life, which i got last year and let me tell you it's no picnic. we don't know what the future is going to be. that's why i vaccinate my own kids and want to make sure they don't end up suffering something in the future. >> thank you very much. i'm going to finish with you, mr. offerman. i think one of the reasons that you have chosen to be a spokesperson urging people to get the vaccine is because you are well known for playing [inaudible] who has government programs even though he works for the government. so, i want to ask you what is your message to americans out there that have been wondering if they should get the vaccine or if they should have their family members get the vaccine?

>> sorry, can you repeat just the last part of your question? >> -- or tell their family members why they should get a vaccine. >> well, to me it really just comes down to as ms. pisani just pointed out, the risk and benefit ratio, what is likely to occur at the hands of covid-19 is much more catastrophic than what has now been proven to be a harmless vaccine. so it is not a sensibility of deciding for one's self and saying my immune system will take care of me. instead, act as a member of a community or a good neighbor or a good citizen and say the experts have made it clear that for the health of all, absolutely to achieve this herd immunity. so, let's all get our shots.

>> thank you so much. and now mr. griffith, i am pleased to recognize you for five minutes. >> thank you, madam chair. i took my headset off because apparently i was the cause of the previous -- my headset was causing the previous buzz. [inaudible] >> i appreciate it. and i appreciate this hearing being held today. in recent months we have seen a variety of efforts by the state, local and federal government to educate and inform the public about vaccines and we've seen efforts by the private sector such as public service announcements from cable providers and other tv and radio providers and website tools that seek to bring awareness. said continued way to communicate this information as there are still many unvaccinated individuals. doctor shelton, i was wondering if i could speak with you about that. you mentioned it in the proximity of the states that are

near us and the committee has heard me talk about that many times, how you can be in five states in a single day at the corner of southwest virginia. that being said, you are getting information from the states and i read an article last week that the federal government was starting to share that information with localities and i just wondered if the va was sharing that information because both at the home in johnson city and the va center in salem had vaccinated a load of district constituents and i wonder if that is showing up if the people have been vaccinated. a. >> no, sir, not yet. we do not have the calculated [inaudible] it raised the percentage point by three points [inaudible] >> and was that the grason

facility or the federal state? >> federal facility. >> you talk to someone about it, i know that you are learning about the pockets of unvaccinated people and i'm glad to hear you have mobile units. do we need to get more out there, not just those that do the vaccinations, but as you've indicated, educate the public about the history of the vaccines and the safeness of them, or are there other things we should be doing or encouraging virginia to do in that regard? >> well, we have a messaging campaign [inaudible] a lot of the constituents may not want to get vaccinated. it also brings the question

[inaudible] [inaudible] >> i appreciate in the comments you talked about not labeling people or pressuring them, because the people in our area are very proud people, and you want to turn folks off and say we are from richmond or north and we are going to tell you how to do it. that doesn't work. i appreciate that. do you want to amplify that at all? >> the health department in virginia provides a lot of

information to them [inaudible] >> i think that it is helpful that you are a native to the area and you have long served both patients and the community. i think that helps you get the message out. if there's anything we can do to help get the message out, not only an hour part of southwest virginia but east tennessee or the rural parts of north carolina, west virginia, all of which border our territory and we are more than happy to do it. as you can see, as the chair pointed out, this is not democrat or republican. this is about all of us working together. we have had a some counties that have been hit pretty hard even

over the border. there was a county over there not in my district but one that was hit pretty hard. we appreciate what you are trying to do and what all of the witnesses have done. thank you. i will yield back. >> the chair recognizes the chair of the full committee, mó. >> i don't see mr. pallone. we may have lost him briefly. and so, are you ready to go, why don't i recognize you for five minutes. >> thank you. and i apologize. i'm just trying to pull up my remarks. thank you so much, chairwoman degette. can you hear me? >> yes. >> great. thank you for holding this

important hearing today. and thank you so much for the witnesses for your testimony and preparation. the progress we have seen the past few months in beating back covid-19 has been nothing short of remarkable. in just over one year, we have undertaken an incredible effort to manufacture multiple, highly effective vaccines. and we've undertaken literally a vaccination campaign to get shots into the arms of the american people. on january 20th, when president biden took the oath of office, only 1% of adults were fully vaccinated. but today, over 50% of american adults are fully vaccinated. and not to brag on new hampshire, but over 70% of adults in my state have had at least one dose. while these statistics are encouraging, more must be done to see the signs of the vaccine hesitancy among certain populations. the key component to the

continued vaccination efforts is to ensure that we have the hard data collected to ensure we can improve access in rural communities including in my district. and that is why earlier this year i introduced the immunization infrastructure modernization act, bipartisan legislation that would improve and expand information sharing between state and federal governments as well as public and private healthcare providers to ensure that the vaccines are being administered effectively, efficiently and fairly across all states and territories. immunization information systems, iis, or secure multifaceted and allow for the sharing of crucial information and the maintenance of records. my bipartisan legislation is to bolster these systems and to support real-time immunization record data exchange and

reporting. doctor garcia, you identified in your testimony deficiencies that the immunization information system, plenty of which could be improved by advancing the bipartisan legislation with congressman dishon. can you discuss why it's so important for immunization information systems to be consistent and the type of data collected and reported? >> yes. thank you for that question and for your leadership with regards to addressing the importance of the strong and robust infrastructure. that is usually a core part of what we do with our public health infrastructure. what we have seen, for example, has been over the innovation of the information system that hasn't kept up to pace with regards to ensure that we have [inaudible] that can use the type of surveillance, whether it is the detection of outbreaks, being able to tailor interventions and

identify that there are certain communities that either have hesitancy or access have not been able to be immunized and able to ensure that there's interoperability in the system as well as ensuring that the program itself has the ability to use the kind of education and sense as we think about the covid-19 pandemic. how crucial that is of the local communities as well as estate communities and interventions will beto able to get the resources to those studies that are under vaccinated and it's eralso important and longer-term to think about showing up that part of the immunization infrastructure to be able to assess and address the next emergency. >> great, thank you for joining us and using your platform to encourage americans to get the vaccine. you speak about the work that

you have in the entertainment industry now by listening to the doctors and trusting each other you and your colleagues were able to get safely back to work last year. is that was a successful strategy, how do you think this can open our national vaccination effortsn particulary in rural areas like the ones you grew up in. >> i think it is just a matterin of extending the leadership and the witnesses are talking to and getting this clear messaging to all of our citizens who are confused by the information they are getting. that comes from a variety of reasons, misinformation and conspiracy theories. mistrust etc. and turn up the volume on the clear information that is safe and everyone should, it is your duty as a family member, and if you love yourself and your family,. [laughter] and your community. it is on all of us to step up and be a good neighbor in a good

family member. the just shall that to the hills. >> grade and thank you for listening and i will shout that to the hills and with that i yield back. >> i think the generation recognizes the ranking member of the full committee for five minutes. >> thank you. i really appreciate the approach of today's oversight hearing. thank you too all of our witnesses. i have follow-up questions, doctor saad omar do have confidence in the three vaccines available today in the united states and the w ways in which they were developed. and reviewed and authorized. saad: absolutely and as an academic, i would've said so if i didn't have or i had the lack of confidence in them. >> thank you. i want to ask, do you think it's

important to get the most information accurate information. do you believe it is important. how do you believe that they can and allow them to make the best decisions for themselves. because right now some of the most common questions we have from people aree they are concerned about getting they want to make sure that they have the best and most accurate information when it comes to getting the covid-19 vaccine. any site that you may have as far as addressing people's concerns. >> i think there's a combination of issues and obviously maybe we'll talk a little bit more about the social disinformation that's a really important issue that we have to deal with. but we do know that people do trust her provider so they are the most important choices of information right now and matter where you live. but hearing from folks in. the rural and urban, some are so different depending on where you left it literally traveled the nation. and here in wyoming away from your medical care care, that

type of message that you need to get his little bit different than the person who could just get in the road that any planning to get vaccinated. so that trusted messenger, will getting tired of hearing it but it is so essential. if you talk to leaders, that is the person who are encouraging the vaccination. ifif you trust your vocal footbl coach from penn state, those are the folks that you want to encourage to talk about the vaccines. so i think it is different depending on where you live. >> dr. saad omar i want to address the issue of an concern of side effects, thect fever and fatigue in a especially following the second vaccine. that's a leading reason why people are choosing not get the covid-19 vaccine. when you address what you thank you so the best way to approach someone is concerned about the side effects the potential of losing a work day or two. it. saad: i think that is a very

good question. the two things that should be emphasized for the individuals. first of all, this is the transient side effects that you get, the fatigue and sometimes fever. they're expected and they were seen in the trials and they are not connected to the adverse offense. so if you are getting that, which is that it is inconvenient and it's hard in his own right printed to be done that fever but is not a sign of something more sort of ominous. for more severe long-term side effects that is number one and the reason why this is happening is when your body is trying to have a strong immune response for some people left everyone. i did not get the side effects. but for some people, that means that inflammation and then immune response leads to transient side effects. because of the things we need to

communicate. >> thank you my final question doctor shelton and your written testimony coming in at that in rural areas especially important to build a partnership rep. i justwanted to ask if you can e an example of those partnerships and why you believe it is critical the rural communities in particular. >> yes we built these relationships over time. and with that healthcare providers in the communities but we also have long-term partnerships with county administrators and coordinators when it came time to go out. [inaudible]. in the set up right away's and we can provide. [inaudible]. also looking at our larger sites, and the same thing for the emergency coordinators. and help with the efforts.

[inaudible]. [inaudible]. >> thank you for your work. and i yield back the remainder of my time. thank you. >> i turned out to recognize the chairman for fivete minutes. >> thank you. my question, an lot of them are the same ones that the ranking member rogers said. salome try to answer those that may be didn't cover. i wanted to ask dr. saad omar about these misconceptions we your fears from the americans but the vaccine safety they've evolved to quickly. the due process wasn't as vigorous as it should be. in this thing about the side effects that the vaccines cause fertility problems. to set the record straight, why

should we not be worried about these things in the misinformation this grown. saad: so misconception that is out there the corners are cut printed nobody took a shortcut. just that we built a highway and so we were streamlining the process and some of the bureaucratic process but also the efficiencies by how we recruited it. if i give you one example, so if you need 30000 people in a trial, which was up to 40000 people, or a thousand people or you can have 65 with 500 people or 11205. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. so that is one example about how efficiently we expanded the number of sites because the sources were available etc. so that we did these trials quickly rather than doing it waiting for

each site to grow a thousand people attend sites so that's important. so the processes that we use to ensure safety and efficacy are fine tested. these were the processes that the data collection and the evaluations added. just remind everyone that all these trials by regulation, they have to have a safety monitoring board. so if you and outside of the committee and while these trials were going on, there was weekly ongoing interviews and effectiveness of the review after the data became available of what was happening and then now, there's an unprecedented effort to ensure that there is robust vaccine safety surveillance and that is why you hear about signals that if you look for and do robust surveillance, you hear about the signals and at the end the cdc

has taken a rational conservative defense to protect the safety to protect the general public and again p the certainty as well. by leveraging the data and having a short timeframe from signal emergence to signal evaluation and then requisition. so this has enabled us to trust the process and outcome of this process. >> so thank you. >> mr. chairman can you ask your question again. [inaudible]. >> yes printed. [inaudible]. this is about what the people previously had spoken about the

site is to still get vaccinated. [inaudible]. sorry. it. >> i was unclear what the question was. >> about whether the people have previously had the covid-19. [inaudible]. >> yes the recommendation is that people who have had covid-19 should still get the covid-19 vaccine. there is natural immunity antibodies that have developed through inspection of the covid-19 however, with regards to the vaccination so we don't know how long that can last. as the recommendation of those who have covid-19 also get the

vaccinations. >> all right and thank you so much. i appreciate it. and i yield back. s >> thank you mr. chairman. now we recognize the doctor for five minutes. >> thank you for being here today. as such an important topic or panel that we put together. and one of the things that we see is the consistency in the information are not being consistent and the information that is being delivered. and it was said at the beginning of the testimony that here i am just a regular guy let me tell you, is a novel disease and the scientists were sometimes embarrassed because with a headset at the beginning was not with the ended up saying several

weeks or monthswe later. i can't think of anywhere that could be more pronounced is where did this virus originate party and the stories that we were told early on, are not not reporting with the stories that we are hearing now. i think that it would be on this committee to primarily investigatee the beginning on energy and commerce to ask those questions and asked them thoroughly. [inaudible]. i thank you so very important that we find in investigate where particularly the virus escaped from some lab because that of course has implications for international health and i'veer already spoken to the ranking members.

i don't think china is going to produce any documents. but were going to do whatever investigations we can we are on the same page. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. >> i will give youa extra time. >> i have more than i can get through anyway. i obviously will be somebody question for the record but that is going toe reestablish some credibility even after the fact. i think that's when you be imported. it is not only do we have a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, we headed on top of a lionce-in-a-lifetime political year and in many cases, people are confused. another challenge for all of us is how do we get to people and help them understand what i believe would be in the best interest. and we have lost two similar but i've asked your help as well.

interceding with a speaker. and all of us are most of us took the vaccine in december. because the speaker told us it was necessary. for the continuity of government. so we got fully vaccinated to be sure. and yet we behaved as if we are still frightened of the disease. that does not stand in my opinion, does not send the right message in conjunction with the doctors and that we have asked the speaker for clarification. we are doing steering a virtual format. this computer main hearing room and this should be, if we are indeed all vaccinated. we believe that we can no longer transmit the illness or contracted, we should be meeting that waived in behaving that way. but for whatever reason, don't feel comfortable being inn that setting. sure, let's have special

arrangements. we should not be doing things remotely or voting of this schedule just seems to never and. it doesn't allow us the opportunity to amend this bill have the appropriate legislative input so i just make that clear. time for us back to normal. this is critical i need to know the answer. the best experiences one broker, do you think has no sense of humor. [inaudible]. >> thank you for a question i want to hit one point that you just mentioned and that is i believe was your vaccinated coming can still transmit the virus. and does not eradicate that possibility. vaccination is simply protection. the reasonably that we are still trying to be safe is because you can still catch it and give it

to others. >> the guidelines it came out we go thursday have different information than that. i recognize new information coming in all of the time and many of us had things it turned out to be inoperative. that was later on this part of dealing with a novel virus. but it does appear that those have been vaccinated are recoverable it is no longer infected but we need to know the answer that to be sure. but if you just look at the broad grasp of the prevalence of the disease, clearly something is different now than it was in january. and we need to be reacting the way that we were in january. why don't we.

[inaudible]. thank you and i will yield back. this is the kind of questions that i will submit to the record. >> thank you gentlemen. >> thank you and doctor, could agree with you more. i hope all of us can get back to our pre- pandemic life. and i would encourage you to speak to your colleagues on your side of the aisle. as to why they are preventing us from doing that. his they're not getting vaccinated. if i could v ask you if you had every an vaccinated member of congress before you, what would you say to them and how would you convince them and what would you say to convince them to get the vaccine. >> thank you for your question and just to answer the doctor quickly, it was indeed humorous. if i had the unvaccinated members of congress for me, would simply try to appeal to

the common sense and say, look in the conversation now just pointed out, we are humans which means we are always learning more information and sometimes we think we have it figured out but then things continue to evolve. even if we have a solution, the variance show up. we will always need to be vigilant and there will be more viruses coming in our future. so i would just say, look, with the information we have, the decent thing to do is sufficient for the common good regardless many other misinformation shot. and if you need a cookie or lottery ticket or will take you down the street for a glass of a single malt. that's what it will take over that i will be happy to pick up that tab predict. >> you might have to make take

you up on that. 3.4 million doses in april 2021. unfortunately the price of roughly 1.8 million daily doses in recent days so this is the issue. imagine good family members bace in illinois were told, were not going to be able to get them. i have so many in my own family who has family members who knows the science of this, experts infectious disease. if i'm not asking you to out any of your relatives by name but is disinformation. because our so so much of that on social media. we can't control where those people are getting information from what we know there's a handful of people robert kennedy jr being one of them who had

disinformation regarding vaccine every day on social media. have you been able to figure out the source of the hesitancy of the people he family and how do you address that. >> yes, one of the family members in question actually is to work at and feel they have the sense of authority. in their information streams are both news channels, and social media platforms. that turned this ratio somehow into a political football saved his administration tell you the truth rated should we listen to this administration and i understand that's the state of affairs in modern-day america bt

what we sayrn to the family memr is that your children to arguably cutest children in the family have not gotten to see the grandparents for over a year because of the danger. we have a couple of amino, royce is a small so we have to be incredibly vigilant. yet you just do this for the good of the family. because of their incredible will and there wonderful midwestern stubbornness. they so far preview so we tried hard to partner out. we take a deep breath and hopefully we can all get together soon. >> , thank you soo much because your ability to reach millions of people is unmet by anyone and so i really appreciate you being here and willing to talk about this and to do it in a way that

can reach regular people. talking specifically to people who don't have medical backgrounds many of whom admire the work you do so thank you so much you toyo all of the smart witnesses who testified today and i yield back. thank you. >> we turn now to recognize mr. mckinley for five minutes printed. >> i think you. and think you for bringing this panel together because it can be interesting discussion. i would like to go to dr. saad omar first because based on his written testimony there was inherent revealed revealed he had quite a knowledge ofth the process of the vaccination. so i wouldle ask, without operational warp speed, when we have vaccine today. in just eight months. >> i think it is correct to save the efforts that happened over the last year tells really how

developed and evaluating this vaccine. [inaudible]. >> i think back on the others, i think we are sending mixed signals. i think we are sending confusion and mixed signals out to the public. no wonder. look back on just last year, not even seven months ago, eight months ago. we then had senator harris said that she would not take a vaccine for were approved by the trump administration. now think about that. now for decades, all of us were taught that once we get a vaccine, we are protected against the disease. but then on may 13th, cdc announced vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask. this is the tone but now we are all through that in this statement just a few days later,

the president was at the fort rouge plant in a michigan wearig a mask after he had been vaccinated in the cdc had come out. and the doctor was also challenged about it. do you think that the actions of our officials and their statements interactions on the impacting us on the vaccine hesitancy. dr. anthony fauci more double mask. >> since i wasn't there at that specific time or date but i can speak to this. [inaudible]. the bipartisan support the vaccine is extremely important. so i agree with of clear bipartisan efforts on this issue. >> so i might go back to what

doctor burgess was saying. because were frustrated about this. you have speaker policy said she will not let us go back into session until everybody is vaccinated. others are there and working in committees but we are still hearing today that still being doneea virtually. the attending physicians and according to the cdc guidelines are saying, do you think that nancy is following the science to keep the house shut down and expanding proxy voting. with speaker pelosi. >> and fourthly i'm not in the position to have specific policies because i am a look at it but i will say that when this is done, it did not include points of transmission so when

the data came out it was very appropriate to say and prevents transmission to others but we should wear a mask even if we are vaccinated and since then the staple of evidence have evolved and for a couple of months, we started seeing studies that say that even transmission has drastically reduced. but there is a nuanced to this governments is that if you know that you can verify that everyone is vaccinated, that is safe limited cdc said that. they connect . much normal with exceptions. >> we ever point to get, is a realistic to get 435 members of the house to get vaccinated before we go back into session again. are we going to continue this nonsense. let me hear from you. saad: again, i can't's talk on a

specific policy. lenot knowledgeable about about the details but even if you cannot verify that a lot of activities can happen in the cdc has said that with masking and then it depends what the compliance as etc.'t but if you don't know who is vaccinated who is not. so there is a nuance there and do think that we have evidence of high protection and reduce transmission. >> thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you the chair now recognizes, the birthday girl for five minutes predict. >> thank you. it is great to celebrate with you today. [inaudible]. anti- backlog, found that 65 percent of anti- vaccine social media content stems from only 12 individuals of the

disinformation. and despite these being brought to the attention of the social media companies, review found that at least nine of those individuals still maintain active accounts on facebook and instagram and twitter. more alarming, a simple review of facebook posts over the last week show that online with only 19 posts have fact checking labels applied to them. things like asymptomatic people can't spread the virus. and that the covid-19 vaccine is a genetic mutation.

one quote alone reached approximately 62500 people. although vaccines continue to be acceptable, on social media we understand that your organization and challenging times hitting the factual vaccine information posters on social media. can you briefly tell us about your experience and how long did it take to be resolved. >> is a really great question and it happened to us on several occasions. the fact that your family i believe it started about a year. we felt like it was a really important place to be. what happened to us years ago, we ended up being drowned out by larger organizations i havee a lot of money and sharing disinformation and just a few

people but with the most amount of money. while the rest of us work starting to realize thate we had to provide information inor ordr to be allowed to post we hadn't realized it yet so they had to beat the algorithms we did not know about them yet so we cannot fix the problems and most recently, during the covid-19 year, we were no longer able to get comments in our facebook page for seven w months. we were never able to speak to a person facebook. with the largest vaccine information group in the world. so we don't have a lot of news contact on the pages that makes a big difference. so there's a lot they can do, they can stop giving people disinformation based on their search terms. he has voices were vaccine, and other groups that share information. there's so much that can be done to fix the problem.

>> thank you for that and i want to work with you to see if we can make that better so there's actual information and doesn't have barriers to getting out. >> the doctor, unfortunately as you mentioned in your testimony, misinformation campaigns have targeted people of color and low income communities often. without accessibility to anti- vaccine or without accountability in the anti- vaccine movement has been able to exploit justifiable historic distrust in the media company

has helped with those anti- vaccine goals. i'm almost out of time but i would love to hear that . >> it is important to talk about why they may not be getting vaccinated. it is important especially as it relates to immunities of color. we have for example health communications collaborative in which is collaborative health an partnership with foundations were we actually have been tracking anent misinformation and provide guidance in particular for public health officials. at the local and state levels to address thisio misinformation. also other efforts where you have for example campaign specifically for the latino community recently launched in the u.s. and also a family

foundation to create tools featuring latino health care providers. that can be used in a community to be able to combat some of that misinformation that is happening. and likewise, there's campaign specifically featuring black healthcare providers and by coalition and others are engaged in and that way we have the tools to be able to address mess about the covid-19 vaccine. >> trusted messengers are so important so thank you for your important work and i yield back and i appreciate it. >> thank you and happy birthday jan i followed up on your last question. i think there is a roll to play in the organization and increasing the vaccines and

maybe even sherry distribution sites and i would like to ask the doctor has anybody reached out and pardoning with these organizations for vaccine distribution or for public service announcements. as a communication vehicle to raise the confidence among people. and communities which we know have an allergic symptom to certain vaccinations. >> absolutely. the faith leaders are so important as it relates to trusted messengers. one that we have highlighted in a policy brief as an trusted messenger but there are indeed many messengers and the administration helps in these communities but also local

health departments that have worked with faith leaders where they have sent messengers out through the communities and potential vaccination centers utilizing for example of church parking lot. town halls. [inaudible]. >> doctor i wanted to say that the communications that work with the administration when it comes to the vaccine distribution. and i think that the faith community in the rural areas could be helpful withur it. can you comment on how state and local governments can increase access to the confidence in the vaccine and the rural communities. >> thank you. [inaudible].

[inaudible]. >> i'm sorry but i can't hear you. i suspend my time for a moment. >> yes, we are havingin difficuy hearing you. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. >> madam chairman, it's happening again. >> this the other issue that we need to do for fun is our broadband access in rural areas. two men can cheat submitted to the committee in writing. but we will try it one more time but if we can't get passes, we will then have her submitted in writing. a. >> okay, can you hear me now.

[inaudible]. [inaudible]. local outreach and the ability. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. >> i could not understand all of that so if you wouldn't mind if you could respond and submit that in writing. and also people of access vaccine did not knowing what to do with it. and expiration dates. i would like to know about that. ifld i would also like to point

out we are all focused on injectables vaccine is research being done right now on nasal vaccine that not only is shown promise but will protect against infections but also transmission. i would hope we continue to focus on development of new vaccines but they're not in tonight not be as much opposition to another thing that i would like to say and don't know how many of you have had a chance to look at the website, we made out of cedar is absolutely stunning and beautiful. [inaudible]. i don't know people did or somebody to stop built-ins. but now it is amazing.

i don't know if any of us do a canoe or dresser like that they're really beautiful pieces . don't want to commend you for your outrage to the homeless. i think one of the great tragedies of thera welfare state is the loss of talent and ingenuity and imagination. the fact that you bring them in and given them a chance to demonstrate their artistic ability is amazing i want to congratulate you on thatt and i yield back. >> the chair recognizes the chairman environment and c clime change committee, for five minutes. >> thank you. can you hear me. >> yes we can hear you for unit. >> i think in thehe ranking members for hosting this wonderful painting and with her today there's no

one-size-fits-all solution for increasing the covid-19 vaccination rates while we have made strides in just a few short months to increase the vaccine supply and we know the availability does not equal the access in reality is that many americans remain unvaccinated due to access barriers getting vaccinated. doctor garcia, emphasized in your testimony ♪ ♪, lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate information services access to technology will requires you to sign up and access to transportation and lack of paid sick leave and vaccine access for some populations. so how are these preventing unvaccinated americans especially for those who make up the movable little party to a population are most likely toha face thesey challenges. >> thank you for question. i think about for example, low

income communities and communities of color with regards to being disproportionally those that work on frontline jobs that we view as essential jobs in the covid-19 pandemic. and many people of color not have access to cyclic so the challenge of free sample being able to take time off or being worried about and losing income and or the job and being able to get the vaccine worrying about the potential side effects and having to take time off can be a barrier so addressing those types of issues like sick leave and access to childcare in order to get the vaccination are addressing some of the issues of access. as a relates to providing information, it's appropriate, that's ensuring that the community spirit serving and information that's available in and response to the needs of the communities that are being

served and so that's with the partnership was trusted that these community organizations are so vertically in important to predict and was certainly ensuring that communication materials like transmitting it into our translating it into the understanding what might be some of the concerns and had a message that most appropriately. it is the message and the messenger. i think it's best to understand the messages that are being shared and not doing so in a judgmental way. that's a concern that my people are getting vaccinated but really getting people to understand whether maybe hesitancy in the vaccinations. and access with regard to the sides of the open and assessable during hours they can actually go to them. if they have to work one or more jobs. so these are the types of things we are saying, these strategies

in the rural clinics and extending the clinic hours in the vaccination site powers are critically important to ensure that access the sound barrier to actual vaccination. >> thank you. as an owner and operator of a small business, you have the opportunity to work with nonprofit word work to provide training opportunities to people experiencing homelessness were living in poverty. they're likely to face access barriers like many others me understand that the operations about the one shop and woodwork were affected by s covid-19. as a vaccine allowed normal operations to resume for you read. >> is a woodshop printed we are just about back upon our feet. everybody is vaccinated and so we still are employing masks. were airing on the side of

safety. i don't see why we wouldn't do that. the woodworks, we have just announced coincidentally today that we are opening the program backup. it's much more vulnerable population so were taking extra precautions but it is a wonderful organization were very happy to supportrt it. so many of the people who are without homes needed opportunity. they just need a chance. they all want to go to work. i wish we had woodworks nationwide. >> thank you in alleviating access to one unvaccinated americans are just ass important why some people get the covid-19 vaccine . so encouraged by the strategies being put across the country hunting i certainly hope we can amplify these efforts. and they yield back. >> thank you and now please to yield to the doctor for five

minutes. >> thank you. into this panel for testifying on this important subject today thank you. dr. saad omar, some clinicians have concerns that the u.s. food and drug administration's recommended cause of the johnson & johnson vaccine might increase vaccine hesitancy and reduce public confidence in the overall approval process to the other vaccines as well. dr. saad omar do you feel the fda's actions and still higher degree of confidence in the safety of the covid-19 covid-19e have received the emergency use authorizations from the fda. saad: yes, i think that was right to do. they had a temporary pause, they communicated the reason for the pause. whenever you have an emergency event, there are several difficult options but they chose the most appropriate in my perspective of those options so

yes in the long run, it instills confidence in our vaccine safety. >> can you comment on the severe blood clotting combined with the low platelets and recommending of the pause and the j&j vaccine and would you this is a rare very rare event could you, additionally please. en group,depending on the it is rare to very rare event. and looking at this benefit heavily benefit but then it was appropriate to evaluate the pause in the risk-benefit ratio the resume. >> dr. saad omar how does it compare to other vaccines and we were more commonly see people get, the chickenpox vaccine and the mmr the been discussed previously in today's hearing.

which has proven to be safe and ateffective. so what's the rate of severe events compared to the j&j vaccine with other more commonly administered vaccines. saad: in advance of the event. but overall it's favorable of commonly used vaccines. i'm happy to provide the data based on the risk of group. but isas qualitatively speakingf that this vaccine is perhaps similar files are certain cases in some groups and other commonly used vaccines. a. >> yes i would like to see that additional data if you could please. and finally, dr. saad omar an unknown another subject, how common isn't it for someone had to have an allergic reaction after receiving a covid-19 vaccine party to ends the wrist the same as a received in the emergency use authorization from the fda. saad: so there are differences

databases, also a considered rae side effects range and one of the ways that's related because it's mitigated by having people wait an extra 30 minutes. predisposing situation if they have an allergy or etc. so there's more if you look at the absolute numbers for even for the a.m. and are a vaccines, rare event. summa ranges from around that but it is the rare category even for the rna vaccine. >> could you please comment for us dr. saad omar on the safety from your purge for the use of these new vaccines in adolescents and children. suet that's a really good question. so the data that the committee

and practices has evaluated, the groups were recommended 12 and up. the benefits potentially outweigh the risk and we continue to monitor the humans and there was a very signals that you know you seen the news there evaluating to remind everyone that events in certain teams and haveer confidence that we will get priority but how this event is going in the coming weeks. >> thank you for the answer my colleagues, the pediatrician on thistr panel today and i'm sure will also have questions regarding immunizations and thank you mehta chair and yield the remainder of my time . >> and we recognize mr. peters for five minutes predict. >> thank you. i certainly share the same

frustrations that were not altogether in person. which i believe that we could be if we are all vaccinated and i believe that every democrat is vaccinated am sad to say that every republican is not. so if there's anything that we can do to encourage that, would certainly jump in. in the daily number of daily vaccinations has declined, since april state and local governments thinking about that issue as well with respect to the programs. [inaudible]. in new jersey a shot program in ohio a vaccine opportunity offering a million bucks. it. [inaudible]. and i say that is a former new jersey person printed major-league baseball teams offering free tickets to go get a vaccine that the. the question i have heard dr. saadad omar is due these progras work. even before thek pandemic it, te incentivizing of the vaccine

updates. so do these vaccine programs work and what types of the programs would be most effective. suet there's two things, we know that there's a goal and increasing vaccine coverage of there's been evidence for several years and we have done experiments and others have and incentives are useful. in this pandemic although the uncertainty is that what kind is better suited. so people like myself are wanting and learning from it but it's uncertain limit. so that's the short answer. >> and doctor which your view on the effectiveness and certainly getting evidence of increased vaccine updates and tribal areas and communities of color. >> thank you. in our organization we follow

the evidence and policy recommendations and with regards to incentives, there can be a place for it and a great deal of innovation happening both in public and private sectoriv regarding that predict and how it's impacting for various communities that's important for us. [inaudible]. >> okay thank you and dr. karen shelton giving weight tickets to incentivize vaccinations. how to is that communities reacting to this incentive and more broadly kind of incident is appropriate to encourage and scene work in rural communities that can be replicated. >> outreach and the numbers have been very low but we are looking to see what might be helpful and i would love to have information to offer our community. [inaudible].

since the beginning so again we don't have information on what is working but we look forward to trying to see what will work and reporting back on the information that we do have. >> and dr. saad omar, any recommendations that may want to incentivize covid-19co vaccinations for their employees. do you have any recommendations for us . saad: yes a social norm, we know that we have evidence that from working even in the mercy warm the sample freighted to ensure that there is safety of everyone previous we know these vaccines are highly effective, people are immune compromised, and etc. so have the cautions available for these people and look at things like time off for getting a

vaccination. there will come a time will on-site vaccination will happen soon. in the house and margin for this. [inaudible]. so i think they have a huge roll in small businesses. [inaudible]. >> there's a lot of information that comes in on this and i certainly invite any of the witnesses to apply to the committee and offer information that we would love to get that information. and i appreciate you holding this hearing. in some ways, i am really anxious to get back to work with everybody in person without a mask in a room if there's any way that we can incentivize rest of ourur colleagues to get vaccinated. thank you and i yield back. >> thank you and i agree.

it tiers now please recognize the next person for five minutes. >> thank you and i appreciate and i think all of the witnesses for being here today. mr. first moved to get away from these summa hearings. and google and social distancing and you'll see this very safe to mingle and mix there with people. [inaudible]. so just ad suggestion preference move so that we can get back to normal times. it and doctor garcia according to the centers of disease control, the residence in rural communities like here in northwest missouri hard and increased risk for covid-19 risk morbidity and mortality. last september covid-19 cases for 100,000 residents in rural communities and also urban areas and part of the report found

that covid-19 vaccination studies was lower iner rural communities low 40 percent then in urban communities at 45 percent in the applications of these disparities in the covid-19 vaccination discoveries between urban and rural communities can hinder progress in ending the pandemic. when a unique challenges of getting a vaccine dose into arms. >> thank you for that question. it's critically important to address these disparities that we are saying in rural communities. and generally, we can point to some of the long-standing is you know to the health disparities that exist there. we know certain access to healthcare has been one of the areas having access to healthcare provider. those are issues that are affecting the challenges in your rural communities. that predated the pandemic a.

recognizing that beyond the access to care really thinking about the broader determinants of health. healthcare is ensuring transportation to be able to get to those services. do you have the income to be able to maintain it and have access to the affordable food and to be able to engage and and with the black community and 40 healthy style. i think that we need to address some of these long-standing issues as a relates to rural health disparities and certainly as we move forward beyond of this pandemic printed and have access to healthcare weather is telehealth and the closure of rural hospitals. loosing several close during this time during the pandemic. making access to care more difficult. with regards to vaccination, some of the things that are now happening is the a investment ad

because of the legislation that is been passed, and the investments getting mobilees health units out in the support rural health clinics to be able to do vaccinations in rural communities and also to be able to educate outreach to the community groups and health workers and others. and toea increase the vaccinations. >> thank you. i would like to see everyone vaccinated. i appreciate that. as discouraging the rural areas are not able to get the same access targeted about the pfizer vaccine which is the one that i took back in december, is now available to children 12 - 15 and moderna announced this week that there vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 12 - 17. they claim to submit the findings of the fda in early june. were the mostt frequently asked questions to geteq from parents that children in this age range about the covid-19 vaccine.

>> . much the same questions that we get with all vaccines and want to know the long term side effects of getting it is and of course the answer is what is a long term to get the virus . have to answer it that way. there are rumors that are really going through the wildfire a social media. have never anything like it in my life. ... ... my kids age or younger they're asking this in questions will they be safe why do they need them in the viruses and is dangerous for children and that is misinformation we need to correct. the father of her pediatrician, i appreciate that.ha concern to me to have someone

watch of such notoriety with that, i yield back. >> i think the gentleman. the chair recognizes an actual pediatrician, doctor schreiner for five minutes. >> thank you chairwoman and thank you to our excellent witnesses today. vaccines have been an important topic and aspe a pediatrician i spent 20 years reassuring parentsrs about how to address this. most parents considering faxing hesitant, friend, online that gives them because if they want to make sure they are making the right decision for the child and we know the conversations around primary care providers make all the difference in the world. however, we see a higher degree of reluctance when it comesll to the colored vaccine for all the

reasons you pointed out. t most parents who definitely want the covid vaccine for the kids over 12 have already done it or scheduled it. my 12 years old got his ten days ago. more hesitant families will visit their primary care provider to seek answers from trusted doctors. went toru start with doctor, one of the main w questions i get fm parents is about why they should vaccinate their child the risk for them is low. they making calculations so as a pediatrician, can you briefly describe how you would answer that question for the hesitant parent? >> thank you for that question. on going highlighting the importance of vaccination and why it's so critical not only emergency but beyond cold times

as well. formally when i formally practiced as a pediatrician, i think an important thing is to hear and understand the parents concerns about the vaccinations and be able to articulate safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and that no while children have a lower risk of severe illness and hospitalizations from covid, it's still important to provide that construction and think about it from the view of there may be others in the family if someone is immunocompromised or others that they provide for decreasing transmission but especially it's important to think about children engage in activities they were engaging in pre-pandemic and recognizing social emotional needs and we engage in the things they did pre-pandemic and vaccinations

are an important strategy to get there. >> i agree and the risk of covid is not zero. many have died, we don't know about long covid, there are many risks getting back to normalcy. specifically, can you address the concern parents have about finding a handful of cases of mild myocarditis as many million vaccinations, perhaps how they think about that risk compared to the risk from any viral infection or as a much higher risk getting from covid itselft. >> i think it's important to hear those questions, listen to theirst concerns as parents and tell them what's known now and yes it can be caused by other viruses and bacteria's for example as well and assure them for example the academy of

pediatrics recommends children 12 and above should be vaccinated and a study is showing of the cases right now there is conclusive evidence that there is an association with the vaccine and the cases and numbers of cases being seen as what would be seen at baseline. especially for organizations of the american academy of pediatrics, pediatricians are vaccine experts and take it seriously andex read the data ad continue to recommend in getting back about -- and what. >> right, we are looking for a baseline and we haven't hit that. last quick question, i want to touch on the new guidance vaccines co- administered with other immunizations dropped by about 30% during the pandemic so

can you tell me again, your thoughts about administration, would you say to a parent nervous about getting covid and our ability to track potential rare adverse effects if given together. >> again i would emphasize again the importance how our safety systems are h working to detectf there are concerns or something like co- administration to know that these academies in pediatrics and others certainly are reviewing this and safety with regards being able to do coadministration which can be used for support of a parents especially if they need to come back the office to be able to do other administrations of vaccinations and building on existing infrastructure. >> i'm out of time, so great to see you again.

get back to normalcy and summer camps and everything, get vaccinated. >> thank you and i apologize for somehow implying his daughter was not a pediatrician, what i meant is he's not a pediatrician although he's a doctor on radio, so there you go. i am now pleased to recognize you for five minutes. >> thank you again. like so many of my colleagues, i am pleased this month fda gave authorization of the pfizer covid vaccine for adolescents 1c quickly recommended its use among the age group. i am encouraged by yesterday's news according to moderna studies covid vaccine appears to be safe ands effective in children as young as 12 as well. however, ms. information across social media about the covid vaccine for adult, i am

concerned families are facing a barrage disinformation about their use among children so i'm glad to have this panel of experts today to help us get the facts straight. according to your testimony, the vaccine family campaign has grown over the years and to quote one of the nation's largest social media educating the public on vaccines and their safety and vaccine district information. unfortunately we know this information is rampant online with parents and children exposed to a range of information about the covid vaccine, what lessons can we learn from vaccinate your families efforts on the vaccine disinformation? >> thank you for asking that question. obviously who's been around 30 years so we didn't start in social media, we began working

directly with parents and children were our focus 25 years. the one thing we can learn, never repeat the negative first of all and also, there are efforts being made. who is doing an amazing job, they are giving out grants around the world to stop disinformation an instagram is doing a great job, i don't know why instagram facebook is not doing the same. they are taking targeted communities of color out. after all the work has been done in all the work we need to do, we have to think about the line of freedom of speech. when is a group of individuals or companies making information and selling alternative products instead ofio vaccines, i think something needs to be done, it's danger in the u.s. and global citizens. >> i couldn't agree more. we've taken that up on another subcommittee but authorizing vaccine for adolescents 12 years older his one hurdle overcome.

getting shots in the arms of adolescents is another challenge altogether. you mentioned in your testimony your agency has been vaccinating middle and high school students in school clinics. has a proven to be successful? what other activities have you led or plan to expand vaccination efforts for younger teens and preteens? >> grateful for the partnership gwithout schools to go in and offer vaccines at high school level. the uptake has been small. it is a difficult time of year, there's a lot of sports going on if you are afraid of side effects and they make me think a lot of this is focusing in our schools, we know schools are kind of like the petri dish of the community. in the wintertime, we have

viruses in for parents and pediatricians and healthcare providers, if you want your student to have great benefits of being in person in school and social, mental and physical well-being they received from school, vaccines are our path to have our schools go in person for longer amount of time. we've had recently in april, an increase in cases throughout the district because we've had five outbreaks inou schools. despite having gone to schools in the fall, this is the first time so being able to go in take them, we have seen success there but definitely the importance of what people can achieve by imprisonment schools and importance of having vaccines is very much what needs to be done. >> no question. finally, with my remaining time, your testimony is an experiment found it bipartisan endorsement of covid vaccine help increase

confidence in the vaccine. c that is precisely the goal of this hearing today to work together to debunk vaccine misinformation and send a clear positive support for the covid vaccine. if we are not able to dispel vaccine myths, what potential consequences do we face. >> i think we are entering a vicious cycle because if we have, one way of responding is to get the head of it if we don't get ahead of it by vaccines, will be variance emerging and it becomes a cycle where we need for example, boosters and other approaches and some nonpharmaceutical interventions although not at the level we saw last year but other measures applied to prevent adverse outcomes in the public health so absolutely we

need to invest vaccinate as high a proportion of our population possible. >> thank you, i go back. >> i think the gentle lady. please to recognize doctor ruiz for five minutes. >> thank you for holding this very important hearing, chairwoman. when vaccine distribution was faxed ramping up, there is concern of individuals have a greater amount of vaccine hesitancy and white individuals and that narrative continues but has not been my personal experience as a physician working in the community inoculating hardest hit, hardest to h reach constituents, many farmworkers which in my district, one of the highest rates ofis professions, i've ben going out there administrating

the vaccine and we saw -- [inaudible] they just don't want the vaccine, that narrative isid dangerous, it has the responsibly of the healthcare system to make sure they have access and it blames those that have been left behind for generations and the data is showing my experience was actually a more accurate picture but the problem is not hesitancy, it's many aspects of our healthcare system is not whether someone wants the vaccine, is whether w there are barriers preventing them from doing so months of headlines biting narratives that black americans and other people of color would be the primary community hesitant to get the vaccine due to discrimination

and history of medical experimentation, the familyhe foundation chose black americans if they want to get the covid vaccine as white americans and the most unvaccinatednd people twice are likely to want to get the vaccine so i'm concerned despite getting the covid vaccine, barriers are preventing people of color from getting vaccinated and we know the lowest vaccination rates, even though they have the highest infection rate and death rate in other amenities and as a result to vaccinate these communities are disproportionately, way disproportionally lower than white counterparts is the u.s. the race compared to white, you

cautioned that if we only look at the population as a whole we may be missing significant barriers to axis information. you've touched on some of those barriers are ready, could you further detail what barriers may specifically be preventing them from getting the covid vaccine and what are good efforts that allow us to overcome? >> thank you. yes, it is important as you noted, the narrative being shared and understanding and equitable access, vaccination rates, one of the things we can see is when we prioritize equity in regards to the vaccine distribution and allocation andt ensuring site and location are accessible whether from hours, meeting hours and weekend hours available, sites are trusted community sites where they are

already seeking healthcare services and we see an impact of that for example with regards to community health centers that receive health funding of the 10 million doses they've given, 60% of the vaccine administration has been people of color andnd knowing -- >> the initial phase of the vaccine got the low hanging fruit and they did a first-come, first serve basis. the advantage those with high-speed internet, those who have educational capacity to navigate the system, those who have the flexibly from leaving work and standing in line or waiting on the phone hours at a time disadvantages rural underserved communities who don't have those to benefit them. so we need to shift from that model to a grassroots community based model working with community health promoters

taking the vaccine the people where they are with trusted individuals from the community and we t have to think how we cn change our healthcare delivery system because that has resulted in barriers that have not focused on it but promoted health disparities. his new form of outreach into our healthcareo system, every model so we can address health disparities in general so we don't find ourselves in this situation the next pandemic and iran out of time. i appreciate you all been there. >> this completes the question for members of thef subcommittee but inverse of the full committee to ask questions in these hearings and we have two today. my first non- subcommittee

member but a wonderful member of the full committee and i'll recognize for five minutes. >> thank you very much, i appreciate it. i want to preface my question by saying i did get the vaccine, both doses. i had covid early january but chose to get the vaccine after 90 days and i have had a positive experience. this is for the panel, doctor jay carpenter, and in turn in my district has encountered young patients who have been vaccinated, young patients in their early 20s both suffered from myocarditis, let me pronounce it again -- myocarditis. the inflammation of the heart. has anyone experienced any of the experts, have they seen this

from young adults in their 20s? would like to reply to that? >> maybe we could get the whole panel to reply. >> i would say it's such a rare reaction that there is still research taking place and we have amazing systems that oversee the safety so wen have vaccine experts everyone is encouraged if they have any type of adverse events from the vaccine they are to report there. we have a data link, critical immunization safety system, there is new systems put in place for covid and fda is working so there's a lot of systems out there and i do feel confident we will soon know if there is any need for a pause

and it makes me feel comfortable that there was a pause when requested. >> anyone else want to comment? have they experienced this or heard about this? it's very serious and i would like to have doctor carpenter maybe contact you elaborate more, is that okay? you welcome that? okay. >> what i would add in regards to what we noted earlier that what has been detected is not above the baseline of what we have detected so we are continuing to review that and determine if there is any association. >> i appreciate that very much. my chief of staff is in direct

contact with this particular physician and apparently he has experienced, his patient experienced this more than once so it's worth looking into. >> locally in our area, it certainly has been in these programs and monitoring systems, we will continue to work with those and report. >> thank you very much. again, on this topic, even how much information is available, it can be difficult to know which sources of information you can trust with the internet, how can one ensure information they find about covid vaccines is accurate and comes from credible sources? >> is a good question, the general public can go several reliable sources such as for the cdc so technical documentation from the cdc has been

consistently reliable on this issue and others. the second thing is professional association. we have 20 years of research that shows is a high level of trust in this country. for example when it comes to pregnancy vaccination, for vaccinations, not just trusted but trustworthy entities because they go through a very careful deliberate process to evaluate risk and benefit so these are s some of those sources looks and go through and the fourth thing i mentioned, national continued medical education program, physicians and providers and other providers, that's one reason we are doing this so primary care providers are

empowered to talk about efficacy and safety. >> let me make a statement, madam chair, i know my time is, i recommend our members communicate directly with constituents, a town hall meeting was successful and they directly answered those questions. i can't go any further so i will submit the rest of my questions for the record. >> thank you. mr. carter, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, madam chair. i appreciate the opportunity to waive on and i think the witnesses, this isnk very important for me, i have a large minority population in my district and it's very important and i'm very concerned for healthcare professional, i wouldn'tcici do the clinical trs

myself to set an example and i'm very concerned about that. i want to start with you, doctor shelton, i want to know, you mentioned in your testimony about the communities that lack access to broadband internet or even sales service and we all know that is a problem, they don't know how to sign up for an appointment will get there covid vaccine, how can we address that? how can we address these challenges to make sure these people that don't have access to internet or self-service or other technologies that it's not a barrier to them getting the vaccine. >> certainly providing access is a long-term goal for our state as well. currently the, this lack of access hampers their ability to even ask questions and get that

information so we have addressed this by calling the healthcare provider or pharmacy, we've encouraged people to help their families, friends, neighbors who may not have access to help them, especially the elderly population by taking the vaccine into the community and using radiont stations and allow peope toti know vaccines are coming ad available but it doesn't help as much to answer the questions one on one so it's opportunity to speak with them and encourage them, this new move we have what we can redistribute the vaccine in local providers will go a long way providing local healthcare providers given one-on-one information. people not interested in the vaccine may not go to the health care provider so we do have to continue to look at this area.

>> thank you for mentioning the role of pharmacy because 95% of all americans within 5 miles of pharmacy. the most accessible healthcare professionals inn america so thank you for mentioning that because that's important and certainly a big part of what we are trying to do here. i want to ask you according to the kaiser family foundation about intent african-american adults and two thirds of hispanic and white adults now say they be the on the vaccine for at least one o shot of the vaccine, or they will get it as can, at the same time african-american and hispanic adults remain more likely than white adults to wait and see if you will before getting vaccinated. whatma are the main concerns or questions you've heard from minority conversations about

covid? >> specific concerns overlap the rest of the population. lotsit of pleasant interactions i've had over all. not having a healthcare home in certain situations can have barriers described earlier. so the concerns overlap example, questions about rumors, people talking about benefiting certain populations but there is a baseline of understandable stress in these situations. >> thank you and that is something, i tell you, that to me is difficult to get your arms around difficult for us to address that. we have done everything we can and certainly done a lot to build up confidence of people in

the vaccine and letting them know it is safe and effective so yes it was done quickly but that's because we cut red tape, we didn't cut corners. they need to be assured of that and i am real proud to be a member of the doctors caucus and what we have a done trying to encourage i everyone in bringing about the fact that it is safe and effective building up that confidence. one moreco question, just real quickly, he mentioned your testimony about barriers, what is the difference? what are you talking about? >> real barriers, they just simply don't have access to vaccination site or if you, for example don't have the internet technology to sign up for vaccine appointments versus what might be perceived barrier, associated with vaccine or you might not know the eligibility

terms, helping to clarify with thelp barriers that an individul has. >> great, this has been a great panel and thank you for allowing me to wait on. i'll you back. >> i think all of the members for an excellent ring, everybody's questions were very helpful and i mostly want to thank our witnesses again, raextraordinarily informative interesting hearing. this subcommittee, we intend to continue our oversight over the vaccine distribution process and we stand at the ready for all of you, our witnesses to help in any way we can so as you get data for researchers and physicians, if you can letf us know, these let us know what we can do to help you and your

outreach efforts as well. with that, i remind the members the committee will have ten business days to submit additional questions for the record and i would ask the witnesses if you get these questions, please respond properly to any that you may have thank you for appearing today and the subcommittee is adjourned mike pence is the featured speaker at the annual lincoln megan dinner, the dinner is hosted by the hillsborough in manchester, new hampshire watch live beginning 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. online at c-span.org or on what's available tonight

university and written constitution and the central university history professor kate respecting the rights of african-americans work in this and later, civil war historian james has been fusion to do tonight 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span, a hearing resources subcommittee that last hour i got subcommittee time zone, morning,