Apoorva Mandavilli

But really, in the age group of kids that we're talking about here who are at high risk from COVID, there have not been any safety concerns that I'm aware of.

But really, in the age group of kids that we're talking about here who are at high risk from COVID, there have not been any safety concerns that I'm aware of.

Well, it's very important to remember that they did leave the door open for kids with other health conditions. So a lot depends on that kid's health status. If the pediatrician feels the kid is healthy and agrees with the FDA, it's a good chance the parent is not going to be able to get the shot.

Well, it's very important to remember that they did leave the door open for kids with other health conditions. So a lot depends on that kid's health status. If the pediatrician feels the kid is healthy and agrees with the FDA, it's a good chance the parent is not going to be able to get the shot.

But if the kid does have asthma or is obese or has juvenile diabetes, then they might still be able to get the shot from their pediatrician and not have to travel too far to get it from someplace that offers it. The problem is when you start... Putting in these kinds of limitations on the eligibility, the availability of the vaccine just naturally goes down.

But if the kid does have asthma or is obese or has juvenile diabetes, then they might still be able to get the shot from their pediatrician and not have to travel too far to get it from someplace that offers it. The problem is when you start... Putting in these kinds of limitations on the eligibility, the availability of the vaccine just naturally goes down.

The number of pediatricians who carry it, the number of pharmacies who carry it, all starts to go down. So it just becomes harder for people to get it.

The number of pediatricians who carry it, the number of pharmacies who carry it, all starts to go down. So it just becomes harder for people to get it.

This one was a lot more unexpected and really quite confusing. There's a lot of data saying that pregnant women are at much higher risk of COVID than non-pregnant women of the same age. So it's not clear why they suddenly have taken off the recommendation. Can you remind us why that is?

This one was a lot more unexpected and really quite confusing. There's a lot of data saying that pregnant women are at much higher risk of COVID than non-pregnant women of the same age. So it's not clear why they suddenly have taken off the recommendation. Can you remind us why that is?

There are a lot of studies showing that pregnant women, when they get COVID, they have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. They can develop preeclampsia. They have a higher risk of hospitalization. They're at higher risk of dying. And we've seen that from the very beginning, from the early days of COVID.

There are a lot of studies showing that pregnant women, when they get COVID, they have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. They can develop preeclampsia. They have a higher risk of hospitalization. They're at higher risk of dying. And we've seen that from the very beginning, from the early days of COVID.

And so there was actually a real sort of urgency to get the vaccines approved for pregnant women.

And so there was actually a real sort of urgency to get the vaccines approved for pregnant women.

Yeah, it's a very scary proposition in some ways because those babies are actually at the highest risk from COVID. And one of the reasons for vaccinating pregnant women is to protect those babies passively. You vaccinate the mother and the antibodies go through to the fetus and then the baby's protected for maybe the first few months of life until six months when the baby can get its own vaccine.

Yeah, it's a very scary proposition in some ways because those babies are actually at the highest risk from COVID. And one of the reasons for vaccinating pregnant women is to protect those babies passively. You vaccinate the mother and the antibodies go through to the fetus and then the baby's protected for maybe the first few months of life until six months when the baby can get its own vaccine.

And so to not have that protection really puts those newborns at risk of COVID. And Their airways are not well-developed, so a respiratory infection in a newborn is a pretty big deal. And so this policy is going to leave newborns open to COVID.

And so to not have that protection really puts those newborns at risk of COVID. And Their airways are not well-developed, so a respiratory infection in a newborn is a pretty big deal. And so this policy is going to leave newborns open to COVID.

They are so worried. And the experts I've talked to have said they're very disappointed. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it's really unhappy about this decision. I also spoke to somebody who regulates vaccines for the European Union, and he said he could sort of get behind the kids' decision.

They are so worried. And the experts I've talked to have said they're very disappointed. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it's really unhappy about this decision. I also spoke to somebody who regulates vaccines for the European Union, and he said he could sort of get behind the kids' decision.