Fauci’s comments come at a time when the Trump administration looks set to miss its goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans by the end of the year. Approximately 12.4 million doses of the vaccine were delivered to the states and about 2.7 million people received the first of the two vaccines, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, the outbreak in the United States continued to worsen throughout the winter season, with Americans spreading the virus indoors and gathering in groups to celebrate the holidays. More than 3,740 deaths were recorded on Wednesday, another record in a single day, and the number of cases is expected to continue rising rapidly until January.
Vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, both authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use earlier this month, are providing some relief from the public health crisis. But Fauci acknowledged on Thursday that the United States’ vaccination effort did not meet the optimistic predictions of some government officials.
Fauci reported that he had spoken on Wednesday morning to General Gustave Perna, Operation Warp Speed’s chief of operations, about the status of vaccination programs, and that the rate of vaccination desired by the government was now more likely to be achieved “As we enter in mid-January, February and March” next year.
“Whenever you have a very big operation – like trying to vaccinate an entire country with a new vaccine – there will always be bumps along the way and hiccups because of that,” said Fauci. “We hope this is a reflection.”
In recent days, the government has argued that CDC vaccination numbers underestimate the actual number of vaccines administered, while President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly assigned states the responsibility to inoculate their residents. “The Federal Government distributed the vaccines to the states. Now it is up to the states to manage. Move yourself!” he tweeted on Wednesday.
But Fauci emphasized on Thursday that the federal government must first ensure “that states and local authorities have the necessary resources to implement these programs,” and he nodded at his apparent disagreement with the White House on the strategy of vaccination.
“My feeling is – and not everyone would agree with me – is that there must be a strong relationship between the national approach and the local approach,” said Fauci.
When federal officials leave their state and local counterparts “on their own, without giving them direction, without giving them the kind of resources they need … they can’t do that,” he added. “And this is positive evidence.”