Sununu defends vaccine roll-out amid scheduling issues

HAMPSHIRE NEEDS TO MEET IF IT’S GOING TO DEFEAT COVID-19 IN 2021. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. NO NEED FOR LENGTHY INTRODUCTIONS TODAY. WE HAVE THE 3-TERM GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE HERE TODAY AND TON TO TALK ABOUT, FROM THE STATE BUDGET TO THE PANDEMIC AND WE’LL GET TO SOME POLITICS TOO. SO WELCOME, GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON CLOSEUP. GOV. SUNUNU: THANK YOU. ADAM: LET’S START WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST BIG IDEAS IN YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET. MERGING THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEMS. USUALLY WHEN THERE ARE MERGERS THERE ARE EFFICIENCIES GAINED, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THAT MEANS JOB LOSSES. HOW MANY JOBS WILL BE CUT THROUGH COMBINING THE TWO HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS? GOV. SUNUNU: I AM NOT EXPECTING ANY. THE OBVIOUS EFFICIENCIES ARE BRINGING I.T. SYSTEMS TOGETHER AND HAVING THE FACULTY UNDER ONE UNIFIED SYSTEM. THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN FIND THEM, BUT THIS WAS ABOUT THE CUSTOMER, ABOUT THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS, MAKING SURE THEIR EXPERIENCE IS SEAMLESS. WE HAVE 11 GREAT INSTITUTIONS HERE, BUT THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. WHY CANNOT WE HAVE ONE SYSTEM THAT A STUDENT CAN MOVE THROUGH SEAMLESSLY FROM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO HANDS-ON PROJECTS FROM ONE SIDE OF THE STATE TO THE OTHER. THAT IS A MODERN SYSTEM. WE WILL SEE DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN THE SYSTEMS IF WE DO NOTHING. THAT DATA IS ON THE TABLE AND IT HAS BEEN STUDIED. WHAT COVID HAS DONE IS ACCELERATE THE INEVITABLE, WHICH IS YOU HAVE TO ADAPT YOUR SYSTEM. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN CRISIS MODE, BUT WE WILL BE. THE BEST TIME TO FIX THE SYSTEM IS BEFORE YOU HIT THE CRISIS. IF YOU ARE PROACTIVE ABOUT IT, YOU CAN DESIGN SOMETHING THAT FITS THAT LONG-TERM NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS. IT IS NOT ABOUT CUTTING JOBS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT ABOUT CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENT. ADAM: SO THERE WILL BE TWO CHANCELLORS, TWO I.T. DEPARTMENTS? GOV. SUNUNU: I WILL MERGE THE BOARDS TOGETHER, A FEW FOLKS FROM ONE BOARD, CREATE A NEW BOARD AND REALLY GIVE THEM AN OUTLINE OF THE IDEAS LET THEM DESIGN THE SYSTEM. GIVE THEM ABOUT A YEAR AND THEN EVERYONE UNDER ONE UMBRELLA. THE CAMPUSES WILL STILL HAVE THEIR OWN DYNAMICS. EVERY ONE WILL BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT FOR THE STUDENT SHOULD BE SEAMLESS SO THEY CAN TRANSFER CREDITS AND MOVE SEAMLESSLY WITHIN ONE SYSTEM. IT IS JUST ABOUT ADAPTING, WHETHER IT IS ONLINE LEARNING, DO WE NEED 11 INSTITUTIONS DOING ALL OF THEIR OWN ONLINE LEARNING? THEY ARE SHOULD BE ONE UNIFIED SYSTEM. THEY HAVE ENOUGH COMPETITION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, WE WILL HAVE A SINGLE ENTITY SO THEY ARE CREATING THAT PROCESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS NOT JUST HERE, BUT I THINK FROM ALL AROUND THE REGION. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MORE STUDENTS INTO THE SYSTEM. ADAM: MENTAL HEALTH IS GETTING LEVEL FUNDING IN YOUR BUDGET. YOU ARE PRIORITIZING THE ER BOARDING CRISIS. YOU HAVE MADE THIS PROGRESS, WHY HASN’T THE STATE AND SPECIFICALLY YOU AS GOVERNOR, BEEN ABLE TO END THIS CRISIS? GOV. SUNUNU: WE GOT IT DOWN TO THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE, LITERALLY WAITING FOR ABOUT HALF A DAY. I DON’T WANT TO SAY WE SOLVED THE PROBLEM BUT WE FOUND THE RIGHT PATH, AROUND JANUARY OF LAST YEAR. THEN COVID HIT AND YOU HAD THE ISOLATION ISSUES AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ISSUES THAT SPRUNG UP AND EVERYTHING WAS COMPOUNDED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS WE HAVE A LOT OF THE WORK FORCE, THE STAFF ON QUARANTINE, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THE BEDS, MORE COMMUNITY DRIVEN BEDS, OR SOME OF THE BEDS FOR KIDS IN MORE SETTINGS AS OPPOSED TO THE EMERGENCY SETTING. IN SOME OF THOSE ARE NOT BEING FILLED BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE WORKFORCE. THERE IS A VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT HAVE TOOK US FROM A GREAT PLACE AS WE TACKLE THE CRISIS LAST YEAR AND REALLY COMPOUNDED IT. YOU CAN’T JUST SAY WE WILL WAIT FOR COVID TO BE OVER. WE WILL BE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT IT. WE TALKED ABOUT CHARLIE OLSON AND HIS PROGRAM TO TALK ABOUT THE STIGMA OF CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION. WE WILL PUT MILLIONS BEHIND SOME OF HIS IDEAS COME AND A LOT OF MONEY BEHIND THE ISSUES FOR THE ELDERLY AND VETERANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE WE KNOW IF YOU ARE ELDERLY, THE ISOLATION ISSUE IS COMPOUNDED. THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL. WE PUT CONTRACTS OUT FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT NOBODY DID ON A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT EVEN PRE-COVID IT WAS HARD TO GET THE WORKFORCE, WHICH GOES TO WHY I AM MAKING ANOTHER PUSH, BUT THE STUDENT DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM WHICH DOES NOT COST TAXPAYERS A DOLLAR. THIS IS TO INCENTIVIZE A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES TO STAY AND WORK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO BUILD THAT FORCE THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE PROBLEMS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND ALL OF THESE ISSUES REQUIRE PEOPLE, THAT HANDS ON SERVICE. WHEN WE DO THAT WE CAN DO IT WELL AND MAKE A LOT OF SUCCESS, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PUZZLE PIECES COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL. ADAM: YOU JUST MENTIONED THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN. SO MANY KIDS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE ISOLATION OF REMOTE LEARNING. YOU WANT SCHOOLS TO RE-OPEN. ONCE THE VACCINE SUPPLY GOES UP, WHY NOT JUST CALL AN ALL-OUT BLITZ AND VACCINATE ALL TEACHERS OVER 45 JUST TO REMOVE THAT OBSTACLE. WHY NOT JUST TRY TO DO THAT SEEK AND GET KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM MAY BE APRIL, MAY OR JUNE? GOV. SUNUNU: YOU DO NOT NEED A VACCINE TO OPEN THE CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE SEEN THAT MODEL PLAY OUT ALL ACROSS THE STATE WITH MOST SCHOOLS OPENED WITHOUT ANY VACCINATING FOR TEACHERS OR KIDS. THEY ARE DOING IT SAFELY AND SUCCESSFUL. THE MODEL IS THERE, ANY SCHOOL THAT SAYS WE CANNOT OPEN WITHOUT A VACCINE IS WRONG. THAT IS WHY YOU SEE SO MUCH FRUSTRATION FROM THE PARENTS. GROUP TWO A, THE NEXT GROUP IS ONLY FOR TEACHERS. WE WILL GET THERE. THAT IS THE ONLY OTHER GROUP THAT WE HAVE PRIORITIZED. THERE IS NO REASON SCHOOLS CANNOT OPEN TODAY. THEY HAVE TO OPEN. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE AN ALL-OUT PUSH, NOT SO MUCH ON THE VACCINE SIDE. THAT IS ALREADY BEING DONE. EVERYONE WANTED TO BE PRIORITIZED, AND THE ONLY TWO WE DID WAS FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND TEACHERS. THESE DOORS HAVE TO BE OPEN FOR THESE KIDS. IT IS ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE CHILD. IF WE HAD MICE OF — MASSIVE OUTBREAKS IN SCHOOLS, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY. WE JUST DO NOT. I HAVE TEACHERS CALLING ME SAYING WE WANT TO BE BACK. THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT LET US. UNION LEADERSHIP IS FIGHTING THIS. I FEEL FOR THOSE TEACHERS, AND GOD BLESS THEM, THOSE THAT KEPT THEIR CLASSROOMS OPEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN A MODEL. IT IS TIME FOR THE TEACHERS UNION TO STOP THE FIGHT. NOBODY AGREES WITH THEIR ARGUMENTS. GET THE DOORS OPEN FOR THESE KIDS. ADAM: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE VACCINE ROLLOUT. SEVERAL STATES TOOK A LOOK AT THE VAMS SYSTEM AND SAID NO THANKS. THEY WANTED TO BUILD OUR OWN SYSTEM. THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE THE KIND OF THING YOU LIKE TO DO. WHY DIDN’T YOU? GOV. SUNUNU: WE WERE THE LAST STATE IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE DID NOT AUTHORIZE IT. WE STARTED BUILDING THE PROCESS. WE KNEW WE HAD TO GET SOMETHING READY, SO WE SAID WE WOULD TRY THAT FEDERAL SYSTEM. IT DID NOT WORK. IT STINKS. WE WILL NOT SIT ON IT AND HOPE IT GETS BETTER. WE WILL ACCELERATE WHAT WE ARE DOING AND GET OUR OWN SYSTEM RUNNING. WE MADE THE PROCESS MUCH EASIER. FOLKS DO NOT HAVE TO SCHEDULE THEIR SECOND DOSE. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. AS WE GET MORE VACCINE, WE ARE CALLING PEOPLE AND MOVING THEM FURTHER AHEAD. WE HAD A BAD A — ABOUT A FIVE DATE SNAFU, AND WE GOT THROUGH IT. WE WILL GET THE NEW SYSTEM UP AND RUNNING, MAKE IT A MUCH EASIER PROCESS. WE TRIED THE FEDERAL SYSTEM. IT DID NOT WORK. YOU GOT TO REALLY OF CHALLENGE YOURSELF. ADAM: IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL TRAVEL DURING VACATION, AND WE COULD SEE THE COVID VARIANT COMING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. GOV. SUNUNU: WE COULD. I NEED TO EMPHASIZE I THINK WE WILL HAVE COVID, HIGH LEVELS THAT COME AND GO, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THE KEY IS MAKING SURE THAT THE VULNERABLE, TO REDUCE THE HOSPITALIZATION AND THE FATALITY , THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO GET DONE. WE ARE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS CUT AND WE WILL KEEP ON THAT POSITIVE TRACK. THE ENDGAME — IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET RID OF COVID, BUT THAT IS NOT LIKELY GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT YEAR. WE HAVE TO GET THINGS OPEN SAFELY, AND WE DO THAT BY ENSURING THAT YOU MAKE IT SYSTEM — SYMPTOMS, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE HOSPITALIZED, IF YOU GET THE VACCINE. ALL THREE VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE IN THAT PROCESS, AND THAT IS WHAT GIVES US CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS QUICKLY. ADAM: HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM ARE YOU SEEING WITH UNUSED EXTRA DOSES? IT HAPPENS IF THEY DO NOT SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND DOSE? GOV. SUNUNU: IT IS ABOUT 3% OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND DOSE. WE HOLD IT, AND WE CALL THEM AND WE SAY WHY DID NOT SHOW UP? WE WILL HOLD IT FOR A FEW WEEKS TO BE SURE. WE DO NOT WANT IT TO GO BAD, SO WE WILL PUT IT BACK IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM ON THE PHONE AND TRY TO GET THEM IN. IF FOLKS REFUSE COME OF THAT IS THE RIGHT, BUT WE WILL NOT LET ANYTHING GO TO WASTE. ADAM: I REMEMBER ONE BRIEFING LAST YEAR WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS COULD BE OUR REALITY FOR SOME TIME. THERE IS EPIDEMIC AND THEN THERE IS PANDEMIC, AND THEN THERE’S ENDEMIC, MEANING IT IS HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE CHANCES THAT THIS VIRUS BECOMES ENDEMIC? GOV. SUNUNU: WE STILL HAVE VERSIONS OF THINGS THAT HAD BEEN KIND OF SMALLER PANDEMICS AND SMALLER ISSUES YEARS AGO, BUT WE STILL HAVE THEM, AND WE DEAL THEM — DEAL WITH THEM BETTER. WE HAVE BETTER VACCINES. WE CREATE BETTER THERAPEUTICS, WHATEVER, SO I AM EXPECTING, BECAUSE NO ONE REALLY KNOWS, AND I THINK MOST OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGIST A GREAT WE WILL HAVE THIS FOR SOME TIME. IT IS ABOUT GETTING THE TOOLS IN THE TOOL BACKS TO MANAGE IT AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN MANAGE THROUGH IT. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE VACCINES AND THE FASTEST ONES THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WE WILL HAVE EBBS AND FLOWS OF COVID FOR SOME TIME, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE CANNOT GET BACK TO NORMAL. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE VULNERABLE POPULATION FIRST. AD

CloseUp: Sununu defends vaccine roll-out amid scheduling issues

Governor Chris Sununu elaborates on

Updated: 11:42 AM EST Feb 14, 2021

Governor Chris Sununu discusses the victories, shortcomings and ongoing debates of New Hampshire’s vaccine distribution.

Governor Chris Sununu discusses the victories, shortcomings and ongoing debates of New Hampshire’s vaccine distribution.