Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday rejected suggestions that the United States delay doses of the second COVID-19 vaccine so that more Americans can get their first injection – saying that the country’s supply problem will be resolved long before researchers can study the proposal.
“If you really want to study – the amount of time it will take, the amount of people you would have to put in the study – by then, we will be in the arena of having enough vaccines for everyone,” Fauci told presenter Chuck Todd on the show ” Meet the Press ”from NBC.
“It would be nice to know, if you only give one dose, how long the durability lasts and what is the level of the effect, but what we have now, and what we should follow, is the scientific data we have ‘accumulated,”
The infectious disease specialist’s comments came in response to expert Michael Osterholm, who suggested last week that postponing second injections to deliver more first doses could prevent an anticipated “Category 5” hurricane increase in cases.
The country’s vaccine supply problem is likely to be resolved before Osterholm’s proposal can be effectively studied, said Fauci.
“I would be great to have the study, but I don’t think we could do it in a while,” he told Todd.
Pressed about what the host called the “survival of the fittest” vaccine delivery process, Fauci said supply would “substantially” increase in the coming weeks and months.
“Things will get better as we move from February to March to April, because the number of vaccine doses that will be available will increase substantially,” he said.
But Fauci refused to answer clearly whether public schools should restart face-to-face teaching immediately – despite recent comments by the CDC director that they can reopen safely.
Instead, he asked for the approval of President Biden’s “American Rescue Act”, which includes funding for the reopening of schools.
“We want elementary and high schools to open in the next 100 days,” said Fauci, noting that transmission of COVID-19 among elementary and high school students was probably less than among high school students.
“What they need is help. That’s why we want the American Rescue Act to pass, so that schools can have the capacity – with masks, the ability to get better ventilation, all the things you want to do. ”